Cyprus treats sick cats with anti-Covid medication as feline virus kills thousands

Cyprus is treating sick cats with anti-Covid medication intended for humans in a bid to stamp out a deadly feline virus.

The virus has killed approximately 8,000 cats on the Mediterranean island but cannot be transmitted to people.

The treatment rolled out on August 8, coinciding with International Cat Day.

Cat owners can receive medication in pill form at €2.50 (£2.16) for each pill at their local vet's office following a diagnosis.

Health Ministry Senior Pharmacist Costas Himonas said 2,000 packages of the drug will be made available to vets incrementally over the next month.

Each box contains 40 capsules, meaning a total of 80,000 anti-Covid pills will be available.

Christodoulos Pipis, the government's veterinary services director, told The Guardian vets received the first 500 boxes on Thursday.

It is hoped by treating ill cats with the antiviral medication, it will stop the virus spreading further amongst Cyrpus' cat population.

Cyprus’ veterinarians association said it first petitioned the government for access to the medication from the beginning of this year, when the mutation that causes lethal Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) began to noticeably crop up in the island’s cat population.

The medication's brand name is Lagevrio and its active ingredient is Molnupiravir.

Himonas said there's no risk current pharmaceutical stocks will be depleted to the point treatment of any Covid-19 surge in people would be compromised.

Veterinarians Association President Nektaria Ioannou Arsenoglou said humans cannot contract the mutated feline virus, which isn't related to Covid-19.

According to Arsenoglou, FIP is nearly always lethal if left untreated, but medication can nurse cats back to health in most cases.

What made FIP treatment difficult was the high price of the medication that activists said put it out of reach for many pet owners. Spread through contact with cat faeces, the feline coronavirus has been around since 1963.

Previous epidemics eventually fizzled out without the use of any medication, Arsenoglou said. Measures have already been put in place to prevent the export of the mutation through mandatory medical check-ups of all felines destined for adoption abroad. It’s unclear how many feral cats live in Cyprus, but the island is famous for its feline population which is generally beloved by locals and tourists alike.

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