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More than 400 different species of vertebrates, including birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals, could potentially contract the virus that causes COVID-19, researchers from the University of Davis, California, found.
The team used genomic analysis to compare the main cellular receptor for the virus, called SARS-CoV-2, in humans, the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2, or ACE2, in 410 different species of vertebrates. ACE2 is found in many different types of cells and tissues, including the cells that line the nose, mouth, and lungs.
In humans, the 25 amino acids that make up ACE2 are involved in the mechanism by which the virus attaches to and enters cells. So they wanted to investigate any similarities in the animals.
“Animals with the 25 amino acid residues that match human protein are predicted to have the highest risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 through ACE2,” said postdoctoral research assistant Joana Damas. “The risk is predicted to decrease the more ACE2-binding residues differ from the human species.”
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Approximately 40 percent of species potentially susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 are classified as “threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and may be especially vulnerable to human-to-animal transmission.
This includes several critically endangered primate species, such as the western lowland gorilla, the Sumatran orangutan, and the northern white-cheeked gibbon, which are predicted to be at very high risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2a. through your ACE2 receiver.
Other animals marked as high risk include marine mammals such as gray whales and bottlenose dolphins, as well as Chinese hamsters. Domestic animals such as cats, cattle, and sheep were found to be of medium risk, and dogs, horses, and pigs were found to be at low risk of binding to ACE2.
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“The data provide an important starting point for identifying vulnerable and threatened animal populations at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” said lead author Professor Harris Lewin. “We hope it will inspire practices that protect human and animal health during the pandemic.”
The researchers note that the risks are based on computational results and the real risks can only be confirmed by additional experiments. However, the findings should help scientists determine which species might have served as an intermediate host in nature and aid efforts to control a future outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection in human and animal populations, they say.
Can my dog get coronavirus?
So far there have been a small number of cases of dogs testing positive for the coronavirus, including two in Hong Kong for dogs whose owners were hospitalized with COVID-19. The tests used in dogs are the same as those used in people: nasal and oral swabs that analyze the genetic material of the coronavirus.
However, both dogs had very low levels of the virus and it is unclear if they were infected or had simply breathed polluted air. None of the dogs showed signs of disease or immune response. If they were infected, then it was a very mild infection.
That said, pets pose a risk of transmission if someone touches an animal that belongs to someone with COVID-19. Because of this, people with symptoms of COVID-19 are advised to limit their contact with pets and wash their hands before and after interacting with them. For everyone else, continue to wash your hands regularly and practice physical distancing, both from people and your pets.
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