Pet owners in the UAE are surrendering their animals to rescuers over unfounded fears that they could spread the coronavirus.
Rescue charity Kittysnip said it received nine inquiries in one day this week from frightened pet owners.
Similar fears in China have reportedly led to owners throwing their pets out of tower blocks, with pictures emerging of the animals' corpses on the streets.
It started after a rumour circulated on China’s social media platform, Weibo, suggested pets could spread the virus.
The World Health Organisation has already clarified the issue, saying: “There is no evidence that companion animals or pets such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new coronavirus."
Vets have also dismissed the concerns, saying it was not possible for cats and dogs to contract the rapidly spreading illness, which has infected more than 24,000 people in China and killed almost 500 across the country.
It is surprising how easily the information can be twisted
But rescuers said the rumours persisted regardless.
Carol Ann Geldenhuys, who runs Kittysnip, said one lady asked whether she had to put her cat to sleep, and another pleaded with her to take their cat because they did not want their children to contract the illness.
Ms Geldenhuys feared the queries were just the start.
“It’s a nightmare," she said. "Those are the ones that are contacting us. I dread to think of the others who are just tossing their animals out on the streets.”
Ms Geldenhuys said she tried to explain that there was no truth in the rumour but the pet owner could not be persuaded.
“They said, 'No, no, we read you can and we have little children'," she said.
"We are talking about taking the cat in but where do we stop? We are already sitting with 48 foster cats in homes at the moment. We are bursting at the seams.
“If we accept one, when the floodgates open, how many more could we take in than we already have?”
Tracey Hughes, who runs Rescue in Abu Dhabi, said the charity had no such requests yet, but had answered many people’s worries about touching and feeding stray cats because of the coronavirus.
“All our own feeders understand but some people in the general public are worried," Ms Hughes said.
“Unfortunately, one person said he would have all our dogs removed in Mussaffah.”
Scientists believe the coronavirus may have started in bats and jumped to an intermediate host, possibly snakes, which then infected humans at a market in Wuhan that sold dead and live animals.
Bats are known to harbour more than 60 illnesses that can infect humans, including Sars and Mers, which are close cousins of the new coronavirus.
Vets say that while cats can transmit diseases to people, including salmonella, coronavirus is not one of them.
“Cats and dogs have their own viral diseases in the family of coronavirus but these are not zoonotic, so therefore cannot infect humans,” said Dr Steve Tigere of Pets Oasis Abu Dhabi Veterinary Clinic.
“It is surprising how easily the information can be twisted.”
Dr Dieter Malleczeck, of Blue Oasis Veterinary Clinic, said there was no evidence domestic animals were the source of the human disease.
"The feline coronavirus, known as FIP, has never been documented crossing over to any other species," Dr Malleczeck said.
The virus shares a 79.5 per cent similarity to Sars, which is also believed to have emerged from a "wet market" in China and killed almost 10 per cent of infected patients.
“Even though this current virus may have come from animals, there is no proof domestic pets can transmit it,” said Dr Saheer Sainalabdeen, a pulmonologist at Medeor Hospital in Dubai.
“Even in 2002 and 2003, during the Sars outbreak, the WHO said domestic animals are not a source of infection.”
But Dr Sainalabdeen said it was important to practise good hand hygiene around domestic pets because they can be a source of bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella, which can be passed to people.
“It is always better to wash your hands with soap and water after contact,” he said.
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Switching%20sides
%3Cp%3EMahika%20Gaur%20is%20the%20latest%20Dubai-raised%20athlete%20to%20attain%20top%20honours%20with%20another%20country.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVelimir%20Stjepanovic%20(Serbia%2C%20swimming)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20raised%20in%20Dubai%2C%20he%20finished%20sixth%20in%20the%20final%20of%20the%202012%20Olympic%20Games%20in%20London%20in%20the%20200m%20butterfly%20final.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJonny%20Macdonald%20(Scotland%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBrought%20up%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20represented%20the%20region%20in%20international%20rugby.%20When%20the%20Arabian%20Gulf%20team%20was%20broken%20up%20into%20its%20constituent%20nations%2C%20he%20opted%20to%20play%20for%20Scotland%20instead%2C%20and%20went%20to%20the%20Hong%20Kong%20Sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20daughter%20of%20an%20English%20mother%20and%20Emirati%20father%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20in%20Dubai%2C%20then%20after%20attending%20university%20in%20the%20UK%20played%20for%20England%20at%20sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
Saturday results
Qatar beat Kuwait by 26 runs
Bahrain beat Maldives by six wickets
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by seven wickets
Monday fixtures
Maldives v Qatar
Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
Bahrain v UAE
* The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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Read more about the coronavirus
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
