Covid-19 is said by CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) in America to infect cats and dogs and a few other types of animal. Twelve days ago an online newspaper reported that a dog in Tarrant County had been confirmed as infected with Covid-19. On 18th March of this year, the Metro online newspaper said that a Pomeranian dog had been quarantined at a government facility in Hong Kong because it was believed to have caught coronaviruses from its owner. The website Bloomberg.com reported on 19 March 2020 that a second dog had tested positive for Covid-19 in Hong Kong. The dog was a German Shepherd.
Admittedly these reports are sparse to say the least. It appears that they may be mistaken or perhaps the study that I refer to below is misleading. Clarification is required please. CBC in California reported on 20th July that a new study tells us why dogs cannot get Covid-19 but cats can. In fact they say that also bears, pigs, chickens and ducks all have a mutation that stops them from being infected by coronavirus. The lead author Saby Mathavarajah, a PhD student at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said:
We determined that along with cats, a number of different feline species – cheetahs, leopards, tigers and lions – are all predicted to be susceptible to the virus. It turns out that a single amino acid [in the protein], which is what comprises a receptor, contributes to the susceptibility. That single change, or that single mutation, is what conferred resistance for dogs, for example but not cats.
We need clarification about dogs and their resistance to becoming infected by Covid-19. There is confusion about it. Do dogs have a resistance to being infected by coronavirus?
