Some Endangered Species, Domestic Animals May Be Vulnerable To Coronavirus, Says Study

Los Angeles: A new study that says several critically endangered primates such as the Western lowland gorilla, Sumatran orangutan, and Northern white-cheeked gibbon may be susceptible to the novel coronavirus.

Among domestic animals, cats, cattle, and sheep were found to have medium risk, while dogs, horses, and pigs have a low risk for the virus binding to their ACE2 receptors ( a protein which the virus uses to enter cells across 410 different species of vertebra including birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals), reported Deccan Herald quoting scientists from the University of California (UC) – Davis in the US in a PTI report.

According to the study, published in the journal PNAS, ACE2 is normally found in many different types of cells and tissues, including the cells lining the outer layer of the nose, mouth, and lungs.

“Animals with all 25 amino acid residues matching the human protein are predicted to be at the highest risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 via ACE2,” the report quoted Joana Damas, a co-author of the study as saying.

According to the researchers, about 40 percent of the 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.

“These species represent an opportunity for spillover of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to other susceptible animals. Given the limited infectivity data for the species studied, we urge caution not to over-interpret the predictions of the present study,” the scientists wrote, the report added.

This new information will allow us to focus on efforts and plan on how to keep animals and humans safe. The scientists cautioned that the predicted animal risks are only based on computer simulations, and added that the actual risk can only be confirmed with additional experimental data, the report quoted scientists as saying.