According to British and American researchers, it would be important to vaccinate domestic animals close to humans in order to avoid a greater spread of the coronavirus or the emergence of a new variant.
The fear of transmission between humans and animals
Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Britain and the University of Minnesota in the United States have released their findings on possible animal-to-human transmission. They indicated that the presence of new variants could be a game-changer for domestic animals, which until then were considered asymptomatic. Published in the microbiology journal Virulence, this article discusses the need to vaccinate domestic animals, especially cats and dogs.
As a reminder, a massive slaughter of thousands of mink in Denmark took place last year following the emergence of a new variant which appeared in breeding. The fear of variants and transmission is therefore present. According to a French study, animals living near infected people are 8 times more likely to be infected with Covid-19. Also, cats, unlike dogs, are more likely to infect each other.
Vaccination to stop the spread of the virus
The appearance of variants, which are more contagious, raises fears of a ” significant risk of major public health in the long term For both humans and animals. It is therefore ” makes sense to also develop vaccines for pets, as a preventive measure, to curb the spread of the coronavirus Says the scientists. ” We really need to be prepared for any eventuality when it comes to Covid-19 Said UEA professor of genetics Cock van Oosterhout, lead author of the article. He adds that he ” It is not unthinkable that the vaccination of certain domesticated animal species will become necessary to curb the spread“. Russia has started clinical trials to develop a vaccine for mink, but also for dogs and cats.
