Though it is unlikely, it is possible for animals to contract the Wuhan coronavirus. However, there is currently no evidence that animals are a source of spreading the virus in the United States. But, a recent study published Thursday shows that some individuals who contracted coronavirus passed it along to their pets. Their pets developed a rare health condition as a result.
A report published by veterinary cardiologist Luca Ferasin, who is based in Buckinghamshire, England, claims that myocarditis, or heart inflammation, was found in an increased number of dogs and cats following a COVID-19 infection.
The heart condition, which has been seen in humans following a coronavirus infection, was seen in 12.5 percent of pets in March referred to Ferasin's veterinary clinic, The Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre, which specializes in cardiology. This number jumped from 1.5 percent since last December, as reported by NBC News.
"These were dogs and cats that were depressed, lethargic, they lost appetite," Ferasin said to NBC News. "And they had either difficulty breathing because of accumulation of fluid in their lungs due to the heart disease, or they were fainting because of an underlying abnormal heart rhythm."
Ferasin and his colleagues discovered that many of the pets' owners had previously tested positive for COVID-19 or had symptoms of the virus within three to six weeks of their pets becoming ill. At the time, the Alpha variant of COVID-19 saw an uptick in the U.K., which then prompted the researchers to test the pets for the virus.
Out of 11 pets, two cats and one dog tested positive for the Alpha variant of coronavirus. Two cats and one dog tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. The remaining five did not test positive for the Alpha variant or the COVID-19 antibodies. None of the animals had symptoms of a respiratory infection or any other COVID-19 symptoms, but all 11 of them had myocarditis.
The report notes that nearly all the pets in the study recovered after treatment. The treatments included supplemental oxygen and diuretics to remove the fluid from the animals' lungs. However, one cat whose symptoms persisted was euthanized.
Going forward, Ferasin said that he now advises owners who have COVID-19 to avoid contact with their pets.
Last month, I covered how Finald, Sweden, and Denmark are now limiting the mRNA Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, as myocarditis cases rose in young men who obtained it.
Though it is rare, the Swedish health agency told Reuters that "the connection is especially clear when it comes to Moderna's vaccine Spikevax, especially after the second dose."