The Hong Kong municipality on Tuesday ordered the killing of more than two thousand hamsters after 11 such rodents tested positive for the coronavirus at a pet shop.
A cluster of the Delta variant had previously been traced back to an employee and a customer at the pet store.
Virus material was also seized in the store's warehouse, said the head of the Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency, Leung Siu-fai, at a press conference.
He called on all pet owners who have bought a hamster since December 22 to hand over the animals to the authorities. They should be tested for Sars-CoV-2 and culled regardless of the test result. In the event of a positive test, the owners should be quarantined. In addition, the temporary closure of numerous pet shops with hamsters was ordered. These animals are also to be culled and the other species tested for Corona.
The import of live animals to Hong Kong is to be suspended for the time being. According to official information, the hamsters from the pet shop that tested positive were imported from the Netherlands. The head of the health authority, Sophia Chan, admitted that she was not aware of any study that showed that pets had transmitted Sars-CoV 2 to humans. However, this risk cannot be ruled out. Transmission to other species is also possible in pet shops.
"We have no choice," said her colleague from the Department of Agriculture, advising pet owners not to kiss their pets.
Hong Kong, like the rest of China, is pursuing a zero-Covid strategy.
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) lists numerous examples of virus transmission from humans to pets, especially cats and dogs, on its website.
With regard to some species such as mink, there is a potential risk of infection for humans if there is close contact.