Hong Kong To Cull 2,000 Animals After Hamsters Infected With COVID-19

Hong Kong authorities said Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, that they will kill about 2,000 small animals, including hamsters, after several tested positive for the coronavirus at a pet store where an employee was also infected, Zen Soo reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: Hong Kong authorities said they are not ruling out transmission between animals and humans.

The city will also stop the sale of hamsters and the import of small mammals, according to officials from the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department. The pet shop employee tested positive for the delta variant on Monday, and several hamsters imported from the Netherlands at the store tested positive as well.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, animals do not appear to play a significant role in spreading the coronavirus. But Hong Kong authorities said they are not ruling out transmission between animals and humans.

“We cannot exclude the possibility that the shopkeeper was in fact actually infected from the hamsters,” said Edwin Tsui, a controller at the Center for Health Protection.

“If you own a hamster, you should keep your hamsters at home, do not take them out,” department director Leung Siu-fai said at a news conference.

“All pet owners should observe good personal hygiene, and after you have been in contact with animals and their food, you should wash your hands.”

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic