New strains of coronavirus attack not only humans. Two new studies have been published stating that Option B. 7, first discovered in Britain and more deadly to humans, may also infect dogs and cats, hightech reports. plus.

Virologists found this out when they noticed a sharp increase in the number of animals with myocarditis - from December 2020 to February 2021, their number increased from 1.4% of the total number of visits to veterinarians to 12.8%. What coincided with a spike in disease with a new strain among humans.

Since December, scientists have discovered several new variants of covid that are dangerous to humans - B. 351, for example, was found in South Africa, and P. 1 - in Brazil. Strain B. 7 was alarming as it spread quickly among the population and is now responsible for 95% of all new infections in Britain.

Until now, the impact of these strains on animals has remained unclear due to the fact that dogs and cats are hardly tested.. However, the situation may change, according to the French virologist Eric Leroy, the author of one of the studies.. He and his colleagues drew attention to a sharp increase in the number of animals with myocarditis from December 2020 to February 2021 - their number increased from 1.4% to 12.8% of the total number of visits to veterinarians, which coincided with a jump in infections with the British strain of coronavirus among humans..

Scientists examined 11 animals, eight cats and three dogs. They showed heart abnormalities, arrhythmias, fluid in the lungs - all the symptoms that people with covid have.. Seven of them passed the PCR test and three were positive.. They were all infected with option B.

A second team from the United States found the same variant in one dog and one cat in Texas..

Owners of all coronavirus tested animals were infected with SARS-CoV-2 before their pets showed symptoms. The Texas dog and cat had no symptoms unless they started sneezing a few weeks later.. All animals have recovered, except for one cat from Britain..

According to Leroy, it is unknown if the British strain is more transmissible between humans and animals than normal.. It is impossible to establish whether pets infected with B. 7, play a large role in the spread of the pandemic, but this hypothesis, in his opinion, should be carefully studied.

As noted by other scientists, these studies only reveal the connection between B. 7 and myocarditis, but do not rule out other causes of heart problems in animals. "