No evidence that pets can cause COVID-19, says official

Hyderabad, Apr 15: Owners of pet animals need not panic over contracting COVID-19 from their pets because there is no evidence to suggest that the latter can cause the infection, a Telangana Veterinary and Animal Husbandry official said on Wednesday, advising people in the city not to abandon their pets.

Veterinary scientists/veterinary doctors opined that pet owners need not panic, because there is no evidence that pet animals can cause the infection of COVID19 or that they get COVID -19 virus from human beings," Director of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, Telangana, V Lakshma Reddy said in a release.

Observing that there are about two lakh pets in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area, Reddy said some of the pet owners, out of fear of coronavirus infection from their pets, are leaving them on the streets. He advised pet owners against doing so.

The pet owners, to remain safe, should wash their hands after being around their animals and avoid direct contact, he said. There is no evidence of pets becoming sick with COVID-19, the release said. Pet owners infected with COVID-19 should be isolated and quarantined, he added.