Photo credit: Arya

Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve learned that pets as well as humans can contract the Corona virus. We’ve seen cases in both cats and dogs. Cats are particularly susceptible to the virus and this includes the big cats, such as tiger cats.

Other animals have been affected by Covid-19 too, including farmed animals such as mink and wild animals such as white-tailed deer.

Much research is being done, looking into these particular cases, to find out if the virus was spread via human or animal, and whether it is transmissible back to the host. It will help to broaden our knowledge of the virus, so we have a better understanding of its existence.

The most recent pets to have contracted Covid-19 are a bunch of hamsters found at a pet store in Hong Kong. Fifty cases of a Delta variant, not recognized locally, were detected in patrons of the store after testing and genetic analysis.

The researchers conducted RT-PCR tests on all animals in the pet store and warehouse and found, “50% of individually tested Syrian hamsters in the pet shop (8/16) and warehouse (7/12) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

Dwarf hamsters, together with rabbits, Guinea pigs, chinchillas and mice were not infected.

The researchers of the case study in Hong Kong concluded:

“Pet hamsters can be naturally infected in “real-life” settings. The virus can circulate within hamsters and lead to human infections. Both genetic and epidemiological results strongly suggest that there were two independent hamster-to-human transmission and that such events can lead to onward human transmission. Importation of infected hamsters was the most likely source of virus infection.”

What does this study teach us?

Not all pet hamsters are susceptible to Corona virus
Syrian hamsters are vulnerable to Covid-19
Check your pet hamsters for signs of infection
Check the background of your hamster and avoid imported hamsters
Quarantine your Syrian hamster if any member of your household contracts Covid-19

Syrian hamsters can make great pets, especially if you’re a night owl and love staying up late at night. You’ll have lots of company, as this is the time hamsters are most active.

Many other colour varieties exist in Syrian hamsters, including:

Black
Cream
Cinnamon
White
Rust
Dark Grey
Light Grey
Silver Grey
Yellow
Beige
Sable
Ivory
Honey
Lilac
Blonde
Copper
Blue Mink
Mink
Blue

Syrian hamsters can live for more than 2 years and grow to about 6 inches long. They are the most popular of hamsters kept as pets and are usually golden brown with a white belly. They’re the same hamster that we all know as Hammie the Hamster.

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