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COVID-19 and domestic animals: Exploring the species barrier crossing, zoonotic and reverse zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2
  • +4
  • rajesh kumar,
  • seetha harilal,
  • Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi,
  • Mehboobali Paninipara,
  • tapan behl,
  • Githa mathew,
  • bijo mathew
rajesh kumar
Department of Pharmacy, Kerala University of Health Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India.

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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seetha harilal
Department of Pharmacy, Kerala University of Health Sciences, Thrissur, Kerala, India.
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Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi
3Department of Chemistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia.
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Mehboobali Paninipara
3Department of Chemistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia.
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tapan behl
4Department of Pharmacology, Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
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Githa mathew
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bijo mathew
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Abstract

To date, more than thirty animals were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, all of them infected by humans with COVID-19. Some animal experiments suggested the possibility of an animal to animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and were seen in some cases of infected animals. Animal to human transmission was considered unlikely until investigations revealed the possibility of mink to human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Netherlands. Studying the susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 to domestic animals concluded that pigs, chicken, and ducks were not vulnerable to Covid-19; dogs showed less susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and cats as well as ferrets were seen susceptible to Covid-19. SARS-CoV-2 is seen crossing the species barrier, infecting humans from the wild with the source yet unclear, spreading from humans to humans quickly, humans to animals, animals to animals, and is likely to spread from animals to humans even though minimally. Animals appear somewhat resistant to SARS-CoV-2 transmission compared to humans who globally crossed eight million infection cases, and the infected animals mostly do not show many complications and recover quickly. Precautions are advised to prevent human to animal transmission of the virus, and in some areas, avoid animal to human spread of the virus. Further monitoring is required to assess the SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals as COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving condition worldwide.
Mar 2021Published in Current Pharmaceutical Design volume 27 issue 9 on pages 1194-1201. 10.2174/1381612826666201118112203