SARS-CoV-2

 

Currently, our knowledge about the animal origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains largely incomplete. The reservoir hosts of the virus have not been clearly proven. It is not known whether SARS-CoV-2 has been transmitted to humans via an intermediate host and which animals may act as intermediate hosts. Detection of RaTG13, RmYN02 and pangolin coronaviruses implies that several coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 are circulating in wildlife. Moreover, since previous studies showed recombination as the possible origin of some sarbecoviruses such as SARS-COV, it cannot be ruled out that viral RNA recombination between several related coronaviruses was involved in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Expanded surveillance of SARS-CoV-2-related viruses inChina, Southeast Asia and other regions targeting bats, wild and captive pangolins and other animal species will help us better understand the zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2.

In addition to wildlife, researchers examined the susceptibility of domesticated and laboratory animals to SARS-COV-2 infection. The study showed experimentally that SARS-CoV-2 multiplies efficiently in cats and in the upper respiratory tract of ferrets, while dogs, pigs, chickens and ducks were not susceptible to SARS-COV-2 (REF.43). Mink susceptibility was documented by a report from the Netherlands on an outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection in farmed minks. While symptoms were mild in most infected minks, some developed severe respiratory distress and died of interstitial pneumonia1/44. Both virological and serological testing found evidence of natural SARS-COV-2 infection in two dogs from households with human cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, but the dogs