OmniVira

No detection of SARS-CoV-2 in animals exposed to infected keepers: results of a COVID-19 surveillance program.

Pellegrino Cerino1 Carlo Buonerba1 Gianfranco Brambilla2 Luigi Atripaldi3 Maria Tafuro1 Denise Di Concilio1 Lucia Vassallo1 Gabriella Lo Conte1 Maria Concetta Cuomo1 Ivana Maiello1 Jacopo D'Auria1 Davide Cardinale1 Maurizio Viscardi1 Giuseppe Rofrano1 Alfonso Gallo1 Pasquale Brusco1 Antonio Pizzolante1 Vittorio Cicalese1 Pio Galdi1 Lydia Galdi1 Sabato De Vita1 Palmiero Volzone1 Gabriele Di Vuolo1 Annachiara Coppola1,4 Biancamaria Pierri1,5 Giovanna Fusco1
Affiliations 5 institutions
  1. Centro di Referenza Nazionale per l'Analisi e Studio di Correlazione tra Ambiente, Animale e Uomo, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, 80055, Italy.
  2. Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Food Safety, Nutrition, & Veterinary Public Health Department, Rome, 00161, Italy.
  3. Cotugno Hospital, AORN Ospedali dei Colli, Naples, 80131, Italy.
  4. Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Universita' degli studi della Campania 'L. Vanvitelli', Naples, 80138, Italy.
  5. Department of Medicine, Surgery & Dentistry (Scuola Medica Salernitana), University of Salerno, Baronissi, 84081, Italy.
PMID34254029 DOI10.2144/fsoa-2021-0038 Year2021 Journal Future science OA Future Sci OA Languageeng Statusepublish

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, has rarely been associated with transmission from humans to animals (reverse zoonotic transmission). In this retrospective study, the authors reviewed data obtained from 236 animals, including buffaloes, goats/sheep, horses, carrier pigeons, rabbits, hens, snakes, pigs and cows that were screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection because they had been in contact with their SARS-CoV-2-positive breeder for at least 2 weeks. None of the tested animals were found to be positive. The authors' findings suggest that the risk of reverse zoonotic transmission among bred animals and SARS-CoV-2-positive breeders is very low or nonexistent. Additional studies are warranted.

Supporting text Virus Host Location
COVID-19 467 human-to-animal transmission 3 interspecies transmission 51 reverse zoonotic transmission 1 SARS-CoV-2 550

Evidence records

1 total
Zoonotic Surveillance
1 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type Viral Detection
1 records
OVE4972 Viral Detection
Key finding

SARS-CoV-2 was not detected in 236 animals, including buffaloes, goats/sheep, horses, carrier pigeons, rabbits, hens, snakes, pigs and cows that had been in contact with SARS-CoV-2-positive breeders.

Virus
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Host
Bovinae Natural host sheep Ovis aries Natural host horse Equus caballus Natural host rock pigeon Columba livia Natural host rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus Natural host chicken Gallus gallus Natural host snakes Serpentes Natural host pig Sus scrofa Natural host domestic cattle Bos taurus Natural host
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

In this retrospective study, the authors reviewed data obtained from 236 animals, including buffaloes, goats/sheep, horses, carrier pigeons, rabbits, hens, snakes, pigs and cows that were screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection because they had been in contact with their SARS-CoV-2-positive breeder for at least 2 weeks. None of the tested animals were found to be positive.

Method
screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection
Sample type
animal samples