Abstract
The recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is one of its kind in the history of public health that has created a major global threat. The causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has a zoonotic source and hence, reverse zoonosis (disease transmission from humans to animals) increases the risk and rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Serological and molecular analyses and experimental infection studies have identified SARS-CoV-2 infection in several animal species in various countries. Different domestic and wild animals, including cats, dogs, tigers, lions, puma, snow leopard, minks, and pet ferrets, are infected naturally with SARS-CoV-2, mostly through suspected human to animal transmission. In addition, in vivo experimental inoculation studies have reported the susceptibility of cats, ferrets, hamsters, Egyptian fruit bats, and non-human primates to the virus. These experimentally infected species are found to be capable of virus transmission to co-housed animals of the same species. However, SARS-CoV-2 showed poor replication in livestock species such as pigs, chickens, and ducks with no detection of viral RNA after the animals were deliberately inoculated with the virus or exposed to the infected animals. As the pets/companion animals are more susceptible to COVID-19, the infection in animals needs an in-depth and careful study to avoid any future transmissions. The one health approach is the best inter-disciplinary method to understand the consequences of viral spread and prevention in novel host populations for the betterment of public health. Further in this review, we will explain in detail the different natural and experimentally induced cases of human to animal SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Highlights
The pandemic of novel zoonotic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan, China [1,2], which is rapidly infecting the global population with over 182 million confirmed cases and more than 3,954,324 deaths as of June 30, 2021 [3]
Research reports indicate that cats, ferrets, hamsters, and non-human primates can be infected with SARSCoV-2 and can transmit the virus to naïve animals under experimental conditions
The zoonotic and reverse zoonotic potentials of SARS-CoV-2 infection are identified in several animal species from different countries through serological, molecular analyses, and experimental infection studies
Summary
The pandemic of novel zoonotic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in Wuhan, China [1,2], which is rapidly infecting the global population with over 182 million confirmed cases and more than 3,954,324 deaths as of June 30, 2021 [3]. Experimental studies show poor replication of SARS-CoV-2 in livestock, namely, pigs, chickens, and ducks, where no viral RNA was observed in the animals even after being deliberately inoculated with the virus or in those exposed to the infected animals [21,22]. The very first case of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from human to animal was reported in Hong Kong, where a 17-years-old Pomeranian dog was infected [23].
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