Cats and dogs eventually need their own COVID-19 vaccines to prevent the coronavirus from developing further and “rewinding” to humans, according to one group of researchers.
It is known that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, infects a number of animals in addition to humans, including cats, dogs, minks, tigers and gorillas. At present, however, scientists do not think that animals play an important role in the spread of the virus among humans, and according to COVID-19 reports according to pets are rare. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, the authors of a new editorial, published in the journal Virulence on January 25, say that these “reservoirs” of animals could pose a risk to humans on the road, as there is a possibility that the virus in these species can develop and spread. back to people.
“The risk is that, as long as there are these reservoirs, it starts to run … from animal to animal and then animal-specific strains start to develop,” said Kevin Tyler, editor-in-chief of Virulence and co. author of the main article, said the wire service PA Media. Then the strains can “rewind in the human population and you end up essentially with a new virus associated, causing the whole thing all over again.”
As such, “it is not inconceivable that vaccination of some moderate animal species may also be necessary to limit the spread of the infection”, the authors write in the main article.
However, the authors do not ask that dogs and cats be vaccinated against COVID-19 at present, but suggest that the idea be considered in the future.
“It is important to emphasize that we do not currently see any transmission in cats (or dogs) and that it is not necessary for owners to vaccinate. [their pets] at the moment, but we need to be prepared for that at some point, ‘Tyler said in an email to WordsSideKick.
Indeed, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not currently grant licenses for COVID-19 pet vaccines, because at present, ‘data do not indicate that such a vaccine would have value’. according to the journal Science. “Businesses are still free to do research on these vaccines … but without a license they cannot sell or distribute them,” USDA spokeswoman Joelle Hayden told Science.
But COVID-19 mink vaccines – which caught the disease large numbers on mink farms and in some cases re-distributing it to humans – is a different story. The USDA is accepting license applications for COVID minks vaccines, and researchers in the US and Russia are currently developing minks vaccines, according to The New York Times.
More broadly, the new editorial calls for the continued use of strict health and safety measures to reduce the transmission and evolution of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
“Continued public health efforts to encourage vaccination, as well as the continued use of proper personal protective equipment (PBT), such as proper masking and maintaining safe social interactions, are of utmost importance,” they said.
Originally published on Live Science.