JAKARTA - A pet cat in the UK is positive for COVID-19. The Environment Ministry declared it the UK's first animal case of infection.
Launched by Reuters on Tuesday, 28, the Ministry of Environment said it has evidence that cats can be infected by infected owners. The authorities took steps to evacuate the cat and its owner.
"This is the first case of a local cat that has tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK. However, this should not be a cause for concern," said Public Health England Medical Director Yvonne Doyle.
"Investigations into these cases show that the infection spreads from humans to animals, and not vice versa," added Doyle.
From the laboratory results released last week, Wednesday, July 22, there is no evidence to suggest that cats can transmit the virus to humans. Even so, the World Health Organization (WHO) maintains that cats are the animals most susceptible to contracting COVID-19.
"Tests by the Animal and Plant Health Agency have confirmed that the virus responsible for COVID-19 has been detected in domestic cats in the UK," said Chief Veterinary Diseases Officer Christine Middlemiss.
"This is a very rare event with infected animals detected to date showing only mild signs of disease and recovering in a few days."
In line with positive cases of COVID-19 in animals, WHO will investigate the possibility of infection from cats to humans. The chief scientist, however, said there was very little risk of COVID-19 being transmitted from cats to humans.
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