Interactions between Humans and Dogs during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recent Updates and Future Perspectives

Abstract

COVID-19 is one of the deadliest epidemics. This pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but the role of dogs in spreading the disease in human society is poorly understood. This review sheds light on the limited susceptibility of dogs to COVID-19 infections which is likely attributed to the relatively low levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in the respiratory tract and the phylogenetic distance of ACE2 in dogs from the human ACE2 receptor. The low levels of ACE2 affect the binding affinity between spike and ACE2 proteins resulting in it being uncommon for dogs to spread the disease. To demonstrate the role of dogs in spreading COVID-19, we reviewed the epidemiological studies and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs. Additionally, we discussed the use of detection dogs as a rapid and reliable method for effectively discriminating between SARS-CoV-2 infected and non-infected individuals using different types of samples (secretions, saliva, and sweat). We considered the available information on COVID-19 in the human–dog interfaces involving the possibility of transmission of COVID-19 to dogs by infected individuals and vice versa, the human–dog behavior changes, and the importance of preventive measures because the risk of transmission by domestic dogs remains a concern.

Bat-Borne Zoonotic Virus: A Literature Review

“…The finding that bats are natural reservoirs of SARS-CoV has important implications for public health and future prevention efforts (Li et al, 2005). Prevention of zoonotic diseases such as SARS-CoV involves a deep understanding of the interactions between humans, intermediate animals, and natural reservoirs of the virus (Kamel et al, 2023). Preventive measures include close monitoring and surveillance of live animal markets, where interactions between humans and animals can increase the risk of virus transmission.…”

Strategies for Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) Diagnosis and Prognosis: A Comprehensive Overview

“…Interestingly, dogs have been shown to discern the scent signatures of various diseases in humans and animals, including BRD. Their olfactory systems can distinguish between healthy and diseased tissues based on volatile organic compound patterns [36,37].…”

Comparison of ordinary reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) with a newly developed one-step single-tube nested real-time RT-PCR (OSN-qRT-PCR) for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

“…Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019, is the etiological agent of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic that affected humans and animals worldwide (El-Sayed and Kamel 2021 ; Kamel et al 2023 ). The most common accepted human-to-human transmission route of this virus was through coughing, sneezing, and the spread of respiratory droplets or aerosols (Lotfi et al 2020 ; El-Sayed et al 2021 ).…”