Covid-19 - humans and animals

Spix

Well-Known Member
Meeting notes from the OIE ad-hoc group on Covid-19 and the human-animal interface on 31st March are attached in pdf below.

Among the salient points:

1. In the USA, a research institute is planning on doing experimental
infection studies in brown bats (which have a long range) to address
the research question, "If humans introduce SARS-CoV-2 infections into
brown bats, could they become a reservoir?"

2. The OIE project "EBO-SURSY" is proposing to test 3000 samples
already collected from bats for haemorrhagic fever virus surveillance
in West Africa for the presence of coronavirus to assess whether
precursor viruses to SARS-CoV-2 have been circulating.

3. In China, animals from fur farms (including mink, foxes, raccoon
dogs) have been tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. So far all have been
negative.
 

Attachments

  • Advisory Group on Covid-19 and animals.pdf
    131 KB · Views: 13
Its seems able to jump species . From intelligence it broke out from Wuhan's livestock market , from what animal its not clear as they eat everything and anything , but pigs are considered suspect as with the Spanish Flu / Swine Fever outbreak in 1918 . We do and can catch similar virus' from cats and as mentioned above we have a tiger in Bronx Zoo that tested positive after having a cough . So far only mild symptoms are showing but if cats can carry the virus ,they can pass it on to humans and possibly mutate it . Cats also have a natural propensity to roam and don't understand lock downs and the feral population has been left unchecked . Tests on other migratory species must also continue and could be both a good and bad thing for the wildfowlers in the shooting community .
I'm hoping this doesn't lead to people abandoning their pets , simply because a member of the cat family has the virus , as they may also provide the answer .
 
I did read a few weeks ago that Cov-19 had been found in a dog in China.

Consensus seems to be it came from bats in Wuhan 'wet' market, but pangolins are also in the frame.

Yesterday a body representing vets in the UK recommended that cats should be kept inside either because they are carriers or susceptible.
 

only cats from households where someone has the virus or is self isolating need to be kept in.
 
What was the outcome of the Tiger infected with CV19, does it kill the cats or do they recover?

On TV last night they were discouraging physical contact with dogs as well if you had symptoms.

Willowbank.
 
I just have to throw this one here from a vet friend whose mate is in stand-up

Mrs Slocombe: "So with all the news, can we stroke our pussies or not?"

Vet: "Stroke your own, don't let anyone else stroke it, don't stroke anyone else's, wash your hands"

Mrs Slocombe: "I never stroke anyone else's"
 
A mail-server report on Friday 17th April:

Two cats reportedly tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in New York. Both had owners who were COVID-19 positive, and both animals were reportedly exhibiting respiratory signs. Additional samples are [reportedly] being sent to NVSL [National Veterinary Services Laboratories] for confirmation.

No doubt the media or scientific press will pick it up in due course.
 
What was the outcome of the Tiger infected with CV19, does it kill the cats or do they recover?

On TV last night they were discouraging physical contact with dogs as well if you had symptoms.

Willowbank.

Seven more big cats test positive for coronavirus at Bronx Zoo, a lengthy article in National Geographic

Four more tigers and 3 lions at the Bronx Zoo in New York City have tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, the zoo announced
Wednesday afternoon [22 Apr 2020], following a National Geographic inquiry. This comes nearly 3 weeks after one tiger at the zoo was
confirmed to have the virus and 6 other cats were said to be exhibiting symptoms.
 
Further reporting from NL Times:

Mink found infected ... areas closed to public

"A coronavirus infection among mink being raised on two fur farms in the Netherlands has forced the closure of several roads with people warned not to come within 400 metres of the farms."

"As a precautionary measure, [the public health agency] RIVM is advising against cycling or walking within a radius of approximately 400 metres around the infected mink farm until the results of the research on the air and dust samples are known."
 
A week ago (22nd April 2020) an article in the NYT raised justifiable concern over how Covid-19 could affect big cats in the wild:

India Sees Coronavirus Threat to Fragile Population: Tigers

A tiger mentioned in this article was thought to have died from an impacted intestine arising from a giant hairball ... (?)

This Monday (27th April 2020) The Free Press Journal (Mumbai) ran an article on the story and according to this article, the deceased tiger has been confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive, if confirmed so (by lab tests) this would be the first documented death of a non-human mammal caused by Covid-19. Hope not!

Madhya Pradesh: Pench forest staff qurantined after death of corona positive tiger is fit now : entire forest staff were on isolation after T-21 tiger died of COVID-19.
 
Absolutely nothing to back that one up though. None of the animals testing positive on PCR have had any significant morbidity, so I feel this is coincidence
 
Absolutely nothing to back that one up though. None of the animals testing positive on PCR have had any significant morbidity, so I feel this is coincidence

Yes, nothing to date. Appeals for clarification from Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, and the US Wildlife Conservation Society were widely circulated. Most likely incorrect or gain-seeking misleading reporting from the Indian Forest Service.
 
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