'From Cat to Human' First Case of Coronavirus Transmission Reported

Experts: "Cats have a low probability of infecting humans, but veterinarians and others need to be cautious"

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] The first case of a cat transmitting the COVID-19 virus to a human has been reported in Thailand.

On the 10th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported that last year, researchers at Songkhla University in Thailand discovered a case where a local veterinarian was infected with the COVID-19 virus from a cat.

According to the report, in August last year, a wealthy family living in Bangkok was infected with COVID-19 and hospitalized at a hospital in Songkhla, and their pet cat was also tested at an animal hospital.

Subsequently, during the specimen collection process, the cat sneezed towards the face of the veterinarian who was not wearing a face shield. At that time, the veterinarian was wearing a mask and gloves.

Test results showed that the cat's specimen tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, and three days later, the veterinarian began to show symptoms of COVID-19.

The researchers analyzed that the cat likely transmitted the virus to the veterinarian, as none of the people who had close contact with the veterinarian were infected with COVID-19, and the veterinarian had not met the cat’s owners.

Additionally, genome sequencing (DNA base sequence analysis) revealed that all three people and the cat were infected with the same Delta variant. This was different from the types found in specimens from other patients at the Songkhla hospital at that time.

This incident became the first research-confirmed case of an animal transmitting the coronavirus to a human.

However, the researchers emphasized that the probability of a cat infecting a person is significantly low.

Furthermore, although transmission of the virus from cats to humans is rare, they advised that pet owners and veterinarians who may come into contact with infected or suspected animals should exercise caution.

Scott Weese, an infectious disease veterinarian at the University of Guelph in Canada, explained about this study, "It is important to recognize that the COVID-19 virus can still move between different species."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.