The news went around the world: a tiger from a New York zoo tested positive for coronavirus last weekend. A cat was also affected by the disease in Belgium, and two dogs in Hong-Kong. But scientists exclude for the moment any risk of contamination from an animal to man. Veterinarian Ludovic Freyburger defeated five misconceptions about animals and the coronavirus, Tuesday on Europe 1 in the show Without appointment .
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No, there is no contamination from animal to man
Ludovic Freyburger is categorical: "At present, knowledge about the coronavirus is that there is no scientific data showing that an animal is capable of infecting a human being. Dogs and cats can exceptionally be contaminated. the animal to humans has not yet been identified. "
No, the virus is not transmitted in dogs, but there is a (very small) doubt for the cat
Regarding pets, Ludovic Freyburger separates "the dog on one side and the cat on the other". "In dogs, the virus is not able to multiply and transmit it to a man or another dog, and therefore it does not enter the epidemiological chain," he explains.
"For cats it is a little different. For the moment we have no information on the transmission from cat to man and from cat to cat. A laboratory study published at the end of March showed that cats could transmit the virus to another cat, but on such a reduced staff that we have no idea if it is naturally possible, "nuances the veterinarian. "The test cat that has been studied extensively in Belgium is a cat that lived with an owner who was infected with the coronavirus. We have no idea of the passage from animals to humans."
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No, you should not disinfect your pet
If you have a pet, "it is important not to disinfect it, it causes more damage than anything else! Veterinarians see animals arriving whose owners have washed their feet with bleach or have takes a bath of hydroalcoholic gel. It can cause serious injuries. There are cases of hospitalization, even more serious with these behaviors, "warns Ludovic Freyburger.
Yes, animals must be kept to the strict minimum
Another practical advice delivered by the veterinarian: "consider confining the animals if possible. You must limit outings." "The ideal is to walk them for the bare minimum, that is to say so that they do their needs, in a place closest to home avoiding contact with individuals and others We can, on the way home, possibly wash the legs of animals with a little soapy water, "says the veterinarian. Take care, therefore, not to go out too often with your dog.
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Yes, postpone vaccination and sterilization after confinement
As in humans, where all non-emergency operations have been canceled, veterinarians are primarily responsible for emergencies. "For everything that is not urgent, such as preventive medicine (sterilization, vaccination, etc.), veterinarians have received recommendations from the order of veterinarians to reorient themselves around sick animals and emergencies", specifies Ludovic Freyburger.
"Anything that is not vital should be postponed until after containment. Veterinarians will be best able to give instructions and what to do when the containment is lifted."