Viewpoint: SARS-CoV-2 (The Cause of COVID-19 in Humans) is Not Known to Infect Aquatic Food Animals nor Contaminate Their Products

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This paper is in response to the need for clear communication regarding the risk of transmission of the novel Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 in humans and the general societal concern of potential contamination, of aquatic animals used as food or their products, with the virus SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the family Coronaviridae and genus Betacoronavirus Betacoronaviruses are only reported to infect mammals Currently there is no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect aquatic food animals (e g finfish, crustaceans, molluscs, amphibians) and therefore these animals do not play an epidemiological role in spreading COVID-19 to humans Aquatic food animals and their products, like any other surface, may potentially become contaminated with SARS-CoV-2, especially when handled by people who are infected with the virus Nevertheless, with proper food handling and sanitation, the likelihood of contamination of aquatic animals or their products with SARS-CoV-2 should be negligible The COVID-19 pandemic may negatively affect livelihoods, food security and nutrition for populations that rely on aquatic animals as a source of food or income On a positive side, however, COVID-19 outbreaks may lead to an increase in local community utilization of aquatic food animals or their products due to limited transportation or limited supplies of alternative sources of animal proteins © Asian Fisheries Society