Abstract
Background:
To date, more than thirty animals have been tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; all of
them infected by humans with COVID-19. Some animal experiments suggested the possibility of animal to animal
transmission of SARS-CoV-2 that was 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.
Objective:
The current study aims at highlighting the predominance of SARS-CoV-2 infection in various animal
species, reverse zoonotic transmission and proposing possible animal models that might aid in the study
and development of a vaccine against Covid-19.
Methods:
The authors have gathered information on various animal species infected with SARS-CoV-2 and
possible tests conducted via online news reports, websites and Scopus indexed journals.
Results:
The study of 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 has been seen crossing the species barrier, infecting humans
from the wild with the yet unclear source, 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.
Conclusion:
Precautions are advised to prevent human to animal transmission of the virus, and in some areas,
to 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. Cats and ferrets have physiological
resemblance and genome sequencing studies propose the possibility of these species to be used as animal models
for investigating the SARS-CoV-2 infection and this might aid in further studies and vaccine development
against Covid-19.