Susceptibility of livestock and companion animals to COVID-19

J Med Virol. 2021 Mar;93(3):1351-1360. doi: 10.1002/jmv.26621. Epub 2020 Nov 10.

Abstract

While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to wreak havoc, there is little known about the susceptibility of the livestock and companion animals relative to humans. Here, we explore the susceptibility of companion and agricultural animals, in light of the existing information on natural infections, experimental infections, serosurveillance, and in vitro protein-homology binding interaction studies of the SARS-CoV-2 with the proposed receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 from diverse animal species.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; animals; companion; livestock; pets; reverse zoonosis; susceptibility; transmission; zoonosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 / metabolism
  • Animals
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 / transmission
  • COVID-19 / veterinary*
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Susceptibility / veterinary
  • Host Specificity
  • Humans
  • Livestock / virology*
  • Pets / virology*
  • Protein Binding
  • Receptors, Coronavirus / metabolism
  • SARS-CoV-2 / metabolism
  • SARS-CoV-2 / physiology*
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / metabolism

Substances

  • Receptors, Coronavirus
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2