Studies on Species Susceptibility of COVID-19 Virus
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04/23/2020 |
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The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute of the German Federal Research Institiute for Animal Health (analogous to our NVSL) recently conducted studies on the susceptibility of animals to SARS-CoV-2 the virus responsible for COVID-19. Neither pigs nor chickens were susceptible to the virus and accordingly do not represent a risk to humans.
It was possible to infect Egyptian fruit bats although the inoculated animals did not transmit virus to susceptible contact bats. Ferrets are susceptible and could serve as a model to study SARS-CoV-2 virus that replicated in the respiratory tract and was contagious to susceptible contact ferrets. Despite replication of virus in ferrets, they were clinically asymptomatic.
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Ferret as a coronavirus disease model |
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Frederich-Loeffler Institut, Germany
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In separate reports, it is evident that felines are susceptible, with two cases in domestic cats confirmed in New York City. Lions and tigers showing respiratory signs yielded the virus at the Bronx Zoological Gardens. This outbreak was attributed to human to animal transmission from an infected keeper. |
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