COVID: Can Animals Get the Virus?

Since the pandemic began, numerous cases of coronavirus infections in cats, dogs, and other animals have surfaced. However, while the full reach of COVID-19 across the animal kingdom is not well understood, new tools offer clues.

Some answers can be found in a new global database created jointly by researchers from the Vienna Veterinary University, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Complexity Science Hub Vienna.

The first database of its kind to track COVID-19 among animals, as of Wednesday evening, the estimated ‘infections’ (virus presence) and ‘exposures’ (antibody presence) in 2015 were It has been combined in 31 different species worldwide by now. 39 countries. The database notes that the number of mink cases is not consistently reported and may be underestimated.

Statistics show an estimated mortality rate of close to 3% for the outbreak in the 610 animals tracked so far, with the majority of animal symptoms manifesting as respiratory, gastrointestinal, or behavioral problems.

“This dashboard supports public education on the risks of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between humans and animals and raises public awareness of wildlife conservation issues that may be posed by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It aims to increase that.” The dashboard was published in the journal Nature in July.

The documented infections and exposures included in the dashboard have been largely validated in laboratory tests and provide a solid foundation to build on, but researchers are still trying to figure out what the real coronavirus is. It may be impossible to know the full impact, he said.

Minks have the highest number of cases, followed by cats and dogs, but cases have also been reported in beavers, hamsters, tigers, lions and white-tailed deer.

The dashboard records 86 cases recorded in Canada, including 40 in white-tailed deer, 33 in mink, 12 in cats and 1 in dogs.

The dashboard also shows the virus variants that each animal has been infected with.

“Continued analysis of (COVID-19) outbreak data in animals will help us adapt animal and human surveillance, surveillance and vaccination programs in a timely manner, and help us understand the threat (COVID-19) poses to public and animal health. is particularly important for assessing biodiversity and conservation as well as biodiversity,” the study said.