FILE – In this Feb. 25, 2020, file photo, a resident wearing mask walks her dogs in Beijing. Pet cats and dogs cannot pass the new coronavirus on to humans, but they can test positive for low levels of the pathogen if they catch it from their owners. That’s the conclusion of Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department after a dog in quarantine tested weak positive for the virus Feb. 27, Feb. 28 and March 2, using the canine’s nasal and oral cavity samples. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

LANCASTER, Pa (WHTM) — Ever since a few dogs and cats – that were owned by COVID-19 positive patients – tested positive for the virus, questions have arisen as to exactly how common pets can get coronavirus and if they could potentially serve as a reservoir to both infect other animals and humans.

A new paper that was just made public from researchers in China is likely going to raise concern among pet owners with what it has found.

However, Dr. Bryan Langlois, the Medical Director of the Pet Pantry of Lancaster County and Immediate Past President of the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Foundation, urges all pet owners not to overreact to what will likely be reported from this initial paper.

“I do realize that what people may conclude from this initial study is that their cats and ferrets will be a major cause for concern as a species that can infect other pets and people,” says Langlois. “The truth is the paper kind of confirmed what some of us suspected all along considering the biology of the cat and ferret. Both species have the same type of receptors in their respiratory tissues that are also found in humans. These receptors, called ACE receptors, are what the COVID-19 virus uses to attach to before infecting the cell. However, it is important to look at the bigger picture of what this study did show as well. It has added a good deal to our knowledge base regarding various animal species and the virus but does not change any of the current recommendations we as veterinarians have been making regarding what to do with your pets during this pandemic.”

In simplistic terms, the new study came to the following conclusions:

· Ferrets, of the species that have been investigated so far, appear to be the most susceptible to COVID-19 infection and have been the only species experimentally infected that have potentially shown actual illness signs of being infected. This is not a surprising finding as ferrets often can harbor the same respiratory infections as humans and are often used as models for antiviral and vaccine testing for these diseases.

· Cats have been shown, through experimental infection, to both be able to replicate the virus and cause infection to another cat via respiratory droplets when non-infected cats were placed next to infected ones in the lab (It is worth noting, though, that only 1 of the 3 cats exposed showed evidence of becoming infected via testing for the virus)

· Cats have been shown through this research to actually mount an immune response to the virus via antibody testing. This demonstrates that the virus truly can infect cats and cause a response from their immune systems.

· Some virus was found in the feces of a few of the cats in the research, but this does not appear to be a means of transmission of the virus.

· Dogs that were infected with the virus still did not show any evidence of producing infectious virus that could infect other dogs.

· None of the non-infected dogs that were housed with the experimentally infected dogs showed any signs of infection themselves.

Considering the findings of this study, Dr. Langlois states there is no reason for pet owners to start thinking about getting rid of their cats, dogs, or ferrets and all should continue to practice the guidelines set forth by the CDC and American Veterinary Medical Association regarding what pet owners should do to best keep them and their pets safe during this pandemic.