Cats and Dogs Top List of COVID-19 Infected Animals in U.S.

>> C AN Y OU R P ET S G IV E Y OU >>> CAN YOUR PETS GIVE YOU >>> CAN YOUR PETS GIVE YOU CO VI D? COVID? COVID? RE SE AR CH ER S A RE S EN DI NG A L OT O F RESEARCHERS ARE SENDING A LOT OF RESEARCHERS ARE SENDING A LOT OF TI ME RE SE AR CH IN G T HE R OL ES TIME RESEARCHING THE ROLES TIME RESEARCHING THE ROLES AN IM AL S P LA Y I N S PR EA DI NG ANIMALS PLAY IN SPREADING ANIMALS PLAY IN SPREADING VI RU SE S. VIRUSES. VIRUSES. >> R ep or te r: L AS T YE AR , W E T OL D >> Reporter: LAST YEAR, WE TOLD >> Reporter: LAST YEAR, WE TOLD YO U M AN Y S CI EN TI ST S B EL IE VE D YOU MANY SCIENTISTS BELIEVED YOU MANY SCIENTISTS BELIEVED CO VI D- 19 C OU LD H AV E S TA RT ED O N A COVID-19 COULD HAVE STARTED ON A COVID-19 COULD HAVE STARTED ON A BA T, J UM PE D O N TO A NO TH ER W IL D BAT, JUMPED ON TO ANOTHER WILD BAT, JUMPED ON TO ANOTHER WILD AN IM AL A ND T HE N S PR EA D T O ANIMAL AND THEN SPREAD TO ANIMAL AND THEN SPREAD TO HU MA NS . HUMANS. HUMANS. BU T W HA T A BO UT T HE A NI MA LS I N BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ANIMALS IN BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ANIMALS IN YO UR HO ME ? YOUR HOME? YOUR HOME? CA N T HE Y S PR EA D I T T HE S AM E WA Y? CAN THEY SPREAD IT THE SAME WAY? CAN THEY SPREAD IT THE SAME WAY? WE IN VE ST IG AT E. WE INVESTIGATE. WE INVESTIGATE. TH EY ‘R E CU TE . THEY’RE CUTE. THEY’RE CUTE. TH EY ‘R E SN UG LY . THEY’RE SNUGLY. THEY’RE SNUGLY. AN D T HE Y H AV E G IV EN U S M UC H AND THEY HAVE GIVEN US MUCH AND THEY HAVE GIVEN US MUCH NE ED ED C OM PA NY D UR IN G T HE NEEDED COMPANY DURING THE NEEDED COMPANY DURING THE PA ND EM IC . PANDEMIC. PANDEMIC. BU T C AN Y OU R P ET G ET IN FE CT ED BUT CAN YOUR PET GET INFECTED BUT CAN YOUR PET GET INFECTED AN D S PR EA D CO VI D- 19 ? AND SPREAD COVID-19? AND SPREAD COVID-19? TO F IN D OU T, W E V IS IT ED UC D AV IS TO FIND OUT, WE VISITED UC DAVIS TO FIND OUT, WE VISITED UC DAVIS VE TE RI NA RY M ED IC IN E T EA CH IN G VETERINARY MEDICINE TEACHING VETERINARY MEDICINE TEACHING HO SP IT AL . HOSPITAL. HOSPITAL. HE RE 1 25 V ET S T RE AT M OR E T HA N HERE 125 VETS TREAT MORE THAN HERE 125 VETS TREAT MORE THAN 60,0 00 A NI MA LS E AC H YE AR . 60,000 ANIMALS EACH YEAR. 60,000 ANIMALS EACH YEAR. EV ER YT HI NG F RO M D OG S T O HO RS ES . EVERYTHING FROM DOGS TO HORSES. EVERYTHING FROM DOGS TO HORSES. EV EN FI SH . EVEN FISH. EVEN FISH. >> W E D O K NO W N OW T HA T D OG S A ND >> WE DO KNOW NOW THAT DOGS AND >> WE DO KNOW NOW THAT DOGS AND CA TS C AN B E IN FE CT ED W IT H CATS CAN BE INFECTED WITH CATS CAN BE INFECTED WITH SA RS -C OR ON AV IR US -I I. SARS-CORONAVIRUS-II. SARS-CORONAVIRUS-II. >> S HE TR AC KS . >> SHE TRACKS. >> SHE TRACKS. DA TA T HR OU GH MI D- JU LY S HO W 21 7 DATA THROUGH MID-JULY SHOW 217 DATA THROUGH MID-JULY SHOW 217 CA SE S I N TH E U .S . S O FA R. CASES IN THE U.S. SO FAR. CASES IN THE U.S. SO FAR. MO RE T HA N 40 % O F T HO SE W ER E MORE THAN 40% OF THOSE WERE MORE THAN 40% OF THOSE WERE CA TS . CATS. CATS. TH AT ‘S B EC AU SE C AT S H AV E C LO SE R THAT’S BECAUSE CATS HAVE CLOSER THAT’S BECAUSE CATS HAVE CLOSER CO NT AC T W IT H H UM AN S C OM PA RE D T O CONTACT WITH HUMANS COMPARED TO CONTACT WITH HUMANS COMPARED TO OT HE R PE TS . OTHER PETS. OTHER PETS. >> T HE Y O FT EN A RE V ER Y C LO SE T O >> THEY OFTEN ARE VERY CLOSE TO >> THEY OFTEN ARE VERY CLOSE TO PE OP LE ‘S F AC ES W HE N T HE Y’ RE PEOPLE’S FACES WHEN THEY’RE PEOPLE’S FACES WHEN THEY’RE SL EE PI NG I N B ED S W IT H PE OP LE . SLEEPING IN BEDS WITH PEOPLE. SLEEPING IN BEDS WITH PEOPLE. >> R ep or te r: S O YO U’ RE S AY IN G >> Reporter: SO YOU’RE SAYING >> Reporter: SO YOU’RE SAYING BE CA US E C AT S AR E MO RE SN UG LY . BECAUSE CATS ARE MORE SNUGLY. BECAUSE CATS ARE MORE SNUGLY. WH IL E O NE C AT W AS E UT HA NI ZE D WHILE ONE CAT WAS EUTHANIZED WHILE ONE CAT WAS EUTHANIZED BE CA US E I T G OT S O S IC K F RO M BECAUSE IT GOT SO SICK FROM BECAUSE IT GOT SO SICK FROM CO VI D, RE SE AR CH S HO WS T HE V AS T COVID, RESEARCH SHOWS THE VAST COVID, RESEARCH SHOWS THE VAST MA JO RI TY O F C AT S O R D OG S S HO W MAJORITY OF CATS OR DOGS SHOW MAJORITY OF CATS OR DOGS SHOW MI LD S YM PT OM S O R N ON E A T AL L. MILD SYMPTOMS OR NONE AT ALL. MILD SYMPTOMS OR NONE AT ALL. >> T HE I MP OR TA NT T HI NG I S T HE >> THE IMPORTANT THING IS THE >> THE IMPORTANT THING IS THE IN FE CT IO N I S S PR EA DI NG F RO M T HE INFECTION IS SPREADING FROM THE INFECTION IS SPREADING FROM THE PE OP LE B AC K T O A NI MA LS A ND N OT PEOPLE BACK TO ANIMALS AND NOT PEOPLE BACK TO ANIMALS AND NOT AN IM AL S T O PE OP LE . ANIMALS TO PEOPLE. ANIMALS TO PEOPLE. >> R ep or te r: UN LE SS T HE Y A RE >> Reporter: UNLESS THEY ARE >> Reporter: UNLESS THEY ARE WI LD AN IM AL S. WILD ANIMALS. WILD ANIMALS. WE T OL D Y OU A BO UT C HI NE SE WE TOLD YOU ABOUT CHINESE WE TOLD YOU ABOUT CHINESE RE SE AR CH ER S I DE NT IF YI NG E AR LY RESEARCHERS IDENTIFYING EARLY RESEARCHERS IDENTIFYING EARLY ST RA IN S O F CO VI D- 19 I N WI LD B AT S STRAINS OF COVID-19 IN WILD BATS STRAINS OF COVID-19 IN WILD BATS TH AT T HE Y B EL IE VE M UT AT ED A ND THAT THEY BELIEVE MUTATED AND THAT THEY BELIEVE MUTATED AND SP RE AD T O HU MA NS . SPREAD TO HUMANS. SPREAD TO HUMANS. WH EN T HE V IR US G ET S I NT O W IL D WHEN THE VIRUS GETS INTO WILD WHEN THE VIRUS GETS INTO WILD PO PU LA TI ON S, RE SE AR CH ER S SA Y IT POPULATIONS, RESEARCHERS SAY IT POPULATIONS, RESEARCHERS SAY IT IS I MP OS SI BL E TO CO NT RO L. IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL. AS T HE IN FE CT IO N SP RE AD S, T HE AS THE INFECTION SPREADS, THE AS THE INFECTION SPREADS, THE VI RU S MU TA TE S, F OR MI NG N EW VIRUS MUTATES, FORMING NEW VIRUS MUTATES, FORMING NEW VA RI AN TS , W HI CH C AN S PI LL B AC K VARIANTS, WHICH CAN SPILL BACK VARIANTS, WHICH CAN SPILL BACK TO HU MA NS . TO HUMANS. TO HUMANS. BU T W HE N H OU SE P ET S C AT CH T HE BUT WHEN HOUSE PETS CATCH THE BUT WHEN HOUSE PETS CATCH THE VI RU S, T HE IN FE CT IO NS W ER E VIRUS, THE INFECTIONS WERE VIRUS, THE INFECTIONS WERE IS OL AT ED , A ND T HE V IR US H AS V ER Y ISOLATED, AND THE VIRUS HAS VERY ISOLATED, AND THE VIRUS HAS VERY LI MI TE D C HA NC ES T O C RE AT E LIMITED CHANCES TO CREATE LIMITED CHANCES TO CREATE MU TA TI ON S T HA T P OS E A T HR EA T T O MUTATIONS THAT POSE A THREAT TO MUTATIONS THAT POSE A THREAT TO PE OP LE . PEOPLE. PEOPLE. >> T HE RE I S N OT A L OT O F R EA SO N >> THERE IS NOT A LOT OF REASON >> THERE IS NOT A LOT OF REASON TO B E V AC CI NA TI NG D OG S A ND C AT S TO BE VACCINATING DOGS AND CATS TO BE VACCINATING DOGS AND CATS BE CA US E I T IS C LE AR T HE Y’ RE N OT BECAUSE IT IS CLEAR THEY’RE NOT BECAUSE IT IS CLEAR THEY’RE NOT IM PO RT AN T I N S PR EA DI NG T HE IMPORTANT IN SPREADING THE IMPORTANT IN SPREADING THE IN FE CT IO N B AC K T O PE OP LE . INFECTION BACK TO PEOPLE. INFECTION BACK TO PEOPLE. >> R ep or te r: B UT A N EW VA RI AN T, >> Reporter: BUT A NEW VARIANT, >> Reporter: BUT A NEW VARIANT, WH ET HE R I T C OM ES F RO M A NI MA LS O R WHETHER IT COMES FROM ANIMALS OR WHETHER IT COMES FROM ANIMALS OR PE OP LE , C AN C HA NG E EV ER YT HI NG . PEOPLE, CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING. PEOPLE, CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING. TH E D EL TA VA RI AN T, H OW I S T HA T THE DELTA VARIANT, HOW IS THAT THE DELTA VARIANT, HOW IS THAT CH AN GI NG T HE RE SE AR CH R IG HT N OW CHANGING THE RESEARCH RIGHT NOW CHANGING THE RESEARCH RIGHT NOW AS W E SP EA K? AS WE SPEAK? AS WE SPEAK? >> I T HI NK T HE C ON CE RN W OU LD B E >> I THINK THE CONCERN WOULD BE >> I THINK THE CONCERN WOULD BE IS W HA T I F A V AR IA NT AR IS ES T HA T IS WHAT IF A VARIANT ARISES THAT IS WHAT IF A VARIANT ARISES THAT IS A L OT M OR E I NF EC TI OU S F OR IS A LOT MORE INFECTIOUS FOR IS A LOT MORE INFECTIOUS FOR PE OP LE ‘S C OM PA NI ON A NI MA LS A ND PEOPLE’S COMPANION ANIMALS AND PEOPLE’S COMPANION ANIMALS AND TH EN C OU LD B E T RA NS MI TT ED B AC K THEN COULD BE TRANSMITTED BACK THEN COULD BE TRANSMITTED BACK TO PE OP LE ? TO PEOPLE? TO PEOPLE? >> R ep or te r: R IG HT N OW T HE RE I S >> Reporter: RIGHT NOW THERE IS >> Reporter: RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO E VI DE NC E T HA T T HE D EL TA NO EVIDENCE THAT THE DELTA NO EVIDENCE THAT THE DELTA VA RI AN T C AN S PR EA D B AC K T O VARIANT CAN SPREAD BACK TO VARIANT CAN SPREAD BACK TO HU MA NS . HUMANS. HUMANS. BU T I T IS C RU CI AL S CI EN TI ST S BUT IT IS CRUCIAL SCIENTISTS BUT IT IS CRUCIAL SCIENTISTS CO NT IN UE T O K EE P