COVID-19 and animals: What do we know?

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Coronaviruses, previously considered low-risk to humans, have re-emerged with significant human-to-human transmission, following SARS and MERS outbreaks.
• The current pandemic, originating in December 2019, highlights the need to understand animal roles due to widespread host diversity.
• While typically gastrointestinal in pets, coronavirus infections are now observed with human-to-animal transmission and similar symptoms in animals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the role of animals in the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
• To investigate human-to-animal transmission dynamics.
• To assess the potential for animal-to-human transmission.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on coronaviruses in animals.
• Analysis of reported cases of human-to-animal transmission.
• Examination of clinical signs in animals following exposure.

Main Results:

• Human-to-animal transmission of coronaviruses has been documented.
• Some infected animals exhibit symptoms mirroring human illness.
• Animal-to-animal transmission is considered possible.

Conclusions:

• Understanding animal involvement is crucial for managing the current coronavirus pandemic.
• While human-to-animal and animal-to-animal transmissions occur, no evidence currently supports animal-to-human transmission.