“To date, Russia has developed only a test system for the diagnosis of coronavirus infection COVID-19 people. Our development of the first. The new technique is designed to identify the causative agent of the virus COVID-19 different animals, including companion animals – dogs and cats,” said Deputy Director for research and monitoring of the fgbi “ARRIAH” Ilya Chvala.
Vet: Coronavirus is not transmissible to humans from cats or dogs
According to experts of Rosselkhoznadzor, Nikita Lebedev, samples taken from the animals will be tested for the presence of RNA viruses SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. A new test system was tested for sensitivity to other agents representing the family of coronaviruses. But the development of Russian scientists were able to clearly identify the sample which contained the RNA of the pathogen COVID-19, says Lebedev.
In April, the center for animal health plans to produce kits for diagnosis COVID-19, which will hold about ten thousand studies of biomaterial animals on the basis of the subordinate to the Rosselkhoznadzor veterinary laboratories and reference centers.
Test assumes, first and foremost, animals that exhibit clinical signs of the disease, or if the pet has been in contact with an infected person.
Lebedev said that in the first place diagnostics kits for animals will arrive in a large city where the number of infected people, as well as in those regions where there are international airports. Using the new methods will be tested including companion animals returned to owners from abroad.
who will study the possible infection of domestic animals a coronavirus
According to the world organization for animal health (OIE), now is aware of several infected COVID-19 cats and dogs, and one tiger from a zoo in new York. OIE argues that the new coronavirus infection of susceptible cats, ferrets and to a lesser extent dogs. At the same time not susceptible to the infection chickens, ducks and pigs.
According to the who, currently there are no evidence of the possibility of human infection COVID-19 from companion animals, dogs, cats. The spread of the disease occurs through direct transmission from person to person.
