Research on 600 animals from homes where a person had Covid-19 shows about a quarter of the pets sampled since June 2020 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. One quarter of those infected pets were symptomatic with what is described as a very mild illness that resolved without veterinary interventions.
Gaining support from the CDC, the lab’s SARS-CoV-2 surveillance will continue, says Sarah A. Hamer, MS, PhD, DVM, DACVPM (epi). The next phase will include environmental factors where the virus might be transferred such as pet food and water bowls.
Source: Texas Monthly, March 21, 2022. Link. Despite the relatively low threat to cats and dogs, the Hamer Lab’s work is crucial for surveilling, and understanding, the coronavirus especially because the pandemic is thought to have originated from an animal-to-human transmission event.