Scientists first discovered the British variant in domestic animals. According to a study by a team of French and British researchers, cats and dogs have already contracted the B.1.1.7 variant, which appeared in September 2020 in Kent.
The virologists, who published their results on the BioRxiv website, were asked to test the animals introduced to the clinic. Veterinarian – veterinarian Located in the suburbs of London, the facility has reported an increase in myocarditis cases.
Three monsters have been tested positive
Between December 2020 and February 2021, the incidence of this inflammation in the myocardium, the muscle that allows the heart to contract and pump blood, increased from 1.4 to 12.8%, according to virologist Eric LeRoy of the Research Institute for the Development of the University of Montpellier.
To find out more, the team examined eight cats and three dogs, ages 1 to 12, with no history of heart disease, which included heart problems, arrhythmias, pulmonary edema, and fainting (loss of knowledge), as well as anorexia. .
Symptoms that remind patients’ symptoms Covid-19. That is why the specialists decided to test the little four-legged companions with RT-PCR. As a result, three animals tested positive for the British variant. At the moment, virologists cannot say that the virus is the cause of myocarditis. However, this hypothesis is possible.
‘Unusual clinical signs’
This is the reason for more in-depth studies. They emphasized that it is necessary to assess the level of infection of the British species among pets, and its transmission from animals to humans, noting that these clinical signs are “unusual in these animals.”
In fact, until now, dogs and cats contaminated with the classic strain of SARS-CoV-2 showed only mild clinical signs (coughing, sneezing, runny nose, etc.), or even asymptomatic.
“In light of the increased infection and the transmission of the B.1.1.7 variant to humans, the detection of more cats and dogs with B.1.1.7 than ever before highlights the danger that company animals can play in the dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.”
Two cases are in Texas
Researchers from Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences also indicated on March 13 that they had discovered alternative B 1.1.1.7 in a dog and cat in Brazos County, Texas (USA). They tested positive in mid-February, two days after its owner.
However, unlike the animals in the veterinary clinic, they were well and did not show any serious clinical signs of the disease.
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