As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Zagreb has invited interested Croatian residents who own pets to participate in the research on the impact of the stay of pets in households with COVID-19 positive owners on their health.
As they explained, the daily increase in the number of new coronavirus cases is also accompanied by a greater possibility of infection of pets with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Although it has been proven that pets are not a source of infection for their owners, the impact of coronavirus infection on the health of our pets is almost completely unknown. At the same time, insufficient scientific knowledge remains a valid concern to both animal owners and the general public.
“We want to offer owners the possibility of a clinical examination of Croatian pets in order to establish signs of respiratory infection and test pets for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. At the Clinics of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, we’ll perform a clinical examination of such pets, take some blood samples, swabs of mucous membranes and X-rays,” they explained.
In order for pet owners to apply to participate in the study, it is necessary to have a COVID-19 positive test result from the owner or another household member (PCR or rapid antigen test), proof of ownership of the animal and a completed attached questionnaire.
The questionnaire is somewhat more extensive and consists of two parts: data on the animal and data on the owner and members of the household who were infected.
“The data from this questionnaire is extremely important to us so that we can give guidance to owners in the future on how best to protect their pets from infection. We emphasise that all data from the completed questionnaire will be confidential and will be collected and stored in accordance with the General Regulation on Personal Data Protection,” they stated, noting that the examination and testing of Croatian pets who have owners who are currently positive and as such in isolation will be carried out only after the expiration of the prescribed period of isolation.
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