The new coronavirus is spreading across species, and even tigers are not immune. Recently, it was reported that a Malayan tiger in a zoo in New York tested positive for the new coronavirus. Previously, there have been cases of dogs and cats and other pets infected with the new coronavirus in several countries, making people with pets tense up.
"People do not need to panic too much about this." Animal research experts and animal protection associations related to the recent interview with the "Legal Daily" reporter said, there is no clear scientific research results show that dogs and cats and other pets carrying the new coronavirus can be transmitted to humans. People should maintain a good and rational mindset, do not panic triggered by the abandonment or even kill pets of excessive behavior.
Wu Chunyang, a licensed veterinarian and teacher at the School of Animal Science and Technology at Beijing Agricultural College, has been practicing in animal hospitals for many years and has extensive experience in the prevention and treatment of animal diseases. She told reporters that coronavirus is a common virus in animals, veterinary doctors are often exposed to similar cases, so far it is basically certain that common coronavirus carried by animals is relatively safe for humans.
"There is no scientific basis today to prove that pets such as dogs and cats infected with the new coronavirus will pass the virus back to humans." Wu Chunyang said further research on this is necessary, but there is no need to panic too much about it.
In fact, this issue is being explored by some research teams.
On April 3, Jin Meilin, a professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, and Shi Zhengli, a professor at the Wuhan Institute of Virus Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, sampled and analyzed the sera of 102 cats in the high-risk area of Wuhan and found no evidence that the new coronavirus infection in cats is transmitted to humans.
A recent study by Chen Hualan and Bu Zhigao's team at the Harbin Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, also showed that it is still unclear whether cats can transmit the new coronavirus to humans.
Qin Xiao Na, Honorary President of the Capital SPCA, told reporters that in addition to scientific research, people should note that there has been no major epidemic caused by domestic pets from ancient times to the present, and there is absolutely no need to panic.
When the news of pet cats infected with the new coronavirus first broke out, many cat owners were once very nervous, which also led to some tragic abandonment and even killing of pets.
Qin Xiao Na told reporters that similar panic in 2003 SARS period has also occurred, the reason is that some information in the dissemination process was taken out of context to attract attention, and thus mislead the public.
"The standard management of information dissemination should be strengthened to avoid similar rumors misleading the public, but also to strengthen the education of national scientific literacy, enhance their ability to identify rumors, to avoid following the wind blindly, and thus make some irrational behavior." Qin Xiao Na said.
Xiao Zhi, head of a Guangzhou university student animal protection association, believes that while regulating the dissemination of information, pet owners should also enhance their ability to distinguish right from wrong and be responsible for their pets to the end, abandonment and other behaviors not only harm pets, but also trigger the management of the increase in stray cats and dogs, which in turn increases the cost of urban governance and threatens the health and safety of the public.
"Being a responsible pet owner is not only respectful of animal life, but can also reduce the pressure on the government to manage stray animals. Not creating new social governance problems is the contribution that animal owners should make to the overall situation of epidemic prevention and control." Qin Shona said.
How to better manage pets effectively during the epidemic prevention and control?
Wu Chunyang believes that this is a current issue that should be seriously considered.
"Although pets with neocrown pneumonia are not necessarily passed on to people, if they are not well protected and cleaned, once they are infected with the virus and brought home, they are likely to threaten the health of their owners." Wu Chunyang said, pet cats do not go out of the problem, but the owner needs to do a good job of protection, wash their hands diligently after returning home, do not carry the virus home, infected to pets; if you need to walk your dog, avoid direct contact with other people and other animals, avoid crowded areas, prevent it from licking the outside, consider wearing a collar or muzzle for it.
Plant reminds that an effective method of vaccination for pets, as for humans, is home isolation. During the epidemic, walking dogs, if unavoidable, must be on a leash and preferably wearing a muzzle, which can effectively prevent them from licking and causing infection, and do a good job of cleaning and disinfecting the pet's body after returning home.
"There is evidence that people infected with the virus can get the virus on many surfaces in their homes, including the pets they keep." Qin Xiao Na recommends that families who keep pets pay attention to daily hygiene and choose pet-specific disinfection supplies, but remember not to over-disinfect in order to avoid harming people and animals.
"Believe in science, treat it rationally, and actively prevent and control it, and believe that both humans and pets will wait unharmed until the epidemic recedes and walk together into a healthy and bright future." Qin Xiao Na said. (Reporter Cai Changchun, trainee reporter Hao Yaxin)
