washington a new study in the veterinary record reveals that pets can be infected with the alpha variant of sarscov2 which was first detected in southeast england and is commonly known as the uk variant or b117this variant rapidly outcompeted preexisting variants in england due to its increased transmissibility and infectivitythe study describes the first identification of the sarscov2 alpha variant in domestic pets two cats and one dog were positive on pcr test while two additional cats and one dog displayed antibodies two to six weeks after they developed signs of cardiac disease many owners of these pets had developed respiratory symptoms several weeks before their pets became ill and had also tested positive for covid19all of these pets had an acute onset of cardiac disease including severe myocarditis inflammation of the heart muscleour study reports the first cases of cats and dogs affected by the covid19 alpha variant and highlights more than ever the risk that companion animals can become infected with sarscov2 said lead author luca ferasin dvm phd of the ralph veterinary referral centre in the ukwe also reported the atypical clinical manifestations characterized by severe heart abnormalities which is a wellrecognised complication in people affected by covid19 but has never been described in pets before however covid19 infection in pets remains a relatively rare condition and based on our observations it seems that the transmission occurs from humans to pets rather than vice versa luca said