DEAR READERS: The coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic is notable in that infected people can infect other animals -- mink, in particular. And infected mink can infect people with new str... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I have been reading your Animal Doctor columns for years, and I am so glad you have been showing how politics can harm animals as well as the environment. We should all be involved. You ... more
DEAR READERS: The front-page article in July 30’s Minnesota Star Tribune, “Routine vaccines may cut virus risk,” cites a report from the Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic that was not peer-reviewed. It stat... more
DEAR READERS: A rise in zoonotic (animal-to-human) diseases is being driven by environmental degradation, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Program and the International Livestoc... more
DEAR READERS: A pandemic is defined as “an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people” (“A Dictionary of E... more
DEAR READERS: I am sickened by the daily news reports -- as well as the long history -- of our cruel mistreatment of our own kind, and of other species. The all-too-common phrases “treated like an ani... more
DEAR READERS: Authorities in the United Kingdom -- like those in the United States and most other countries -- have not managed this pandemic following the four pillars of disease control, say two U.K... more
DEAR READERS: Cats infected experimentally with SARS-CoV-2 transmitted the virus to other cats, researchers reported in The New England Journal of Medicine. But the cats did not develop clinical signs... more
DEAR READERS: The coronavirus is capable of mutation to increase infectivity and multiplication -- currently in the human species, but I fear that other species exposed to infected humans may be next.... more
DEAR DR. FOX: We have noticed a change in our pets’ behavior during this “stay at home” period, and have talked to others who say the same. Our cat is more vocal and always wants to be near us, wherea... more
DEAR READERS: On April 22, two cats in New York belonging to different owners tested positive for infection with the coronavirus after showing signs of a mild respiratory infection. The owner of one c... more
DEAR READERS: The COVID-19 pandemic, while bringing out some of the best and worst aspects of human nature, has exposed the vulnerable underbelly of modern civilization. This underbelly -- beneath the... more
DEAR DR. FOX: I applaud your recent article on COVID-19. You have rightly identified one of the root causes of this disease, as well as many other zoonotic diseases: our invasion of the natural world,... more
DEAR READERS: The CDC states: ”Zoonotic diseases are very common, both in the United States and around the world. Scientists estimate that more than 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases in peop... more
DEAR READERS: As you may be aware, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is in the same category as the one responsible for the epidemic of SARS (Sudden Onset Respiratory Syndrome) in the early 2000s. ... more