“I think it’s important for us to recognize this virus still can move between species,” veterinary specialist Dr. Scott Weese recently told the New York Times.
- The case involving spread of SARS-CoV-2 from a cat to a veterinarian in Thailand didn’t come as surprise because pet-to-human transmission has long seemed possible, according to Weese, a professor at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College.
- He is also director of the university’s Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses.
- For the last two years, Weese and his colleagues have done extensive research on transmission of COVID between humans and animals. They have focused on cats because they’re at higher risk for respiratory infections.
And other studies have shown that pet owners can infect their cats and that cats can sometimes infect each other.
In a recent post on his Worms & Germs blog, Weese noted that he’s been warning that people who interact with animals should take precautions to avoid infection with the coronavirus.
