by Freedonia Industry Studies
March 5, 2020
Addressing the health of pets and their owners in relation to the novel coronavirus outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that those infected with COVID-19 avoid contact with pets and other animals. This position gained force today with news reports that the dog of an infected owner in Hong Kong is “now believed to be the first case of human-to-animal transmission.”
Nonetheless, and even though COVID-19 “seems to have emerged from an animal source,” the CDC advises that there is no evidence that pets themselves can spread COVID-19 to humans – a point reiterated by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in its coronavirus bulletin.
On the pet medications front, according to the FDA’s February 27, 2020, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Supply Chain Update, veterinary pharmaceuticals or pharma ingredients sourced from China “soon could lead to shortages.”
On the pet food side, there have been reports of in-store signage attributing out-of-stocks to coronavirus-related shipment delays.
For pet products as for many consumer markets, supply chains often link to China. Any disruptions from shutdowns in China are likely to be amplified by pet owners stocking up against shortages. Challenges for the US pet industry may deepen unless suppliers in China return quickly to full capacity operations and supply chains are restored.
See the Packaged Facts website for more information from our sister publishing brand’s extensive coverage of the pet industry.