Susceptibility of sheep to experimental co-infection with the ancestral lineage of SARS-CoV-2 and its alpha variant

SARS‐CoV‐2 does not infect pigs, but this has to be verified regularly

“…Virus isolation was successful in one of three cattle; however, neutralizing antibody levels were absent or low in most animals after 1 month, suggesting a minor role of cattle in SARS‐CoV‐2 epidemiology 21 . In a different experimental study, sheep‐derived cell cultures supported SARS‐CoV‐2 replication, but experimental infection of sheep resulted in low viral RNA levels in nasal and oral swabs right after challenge, and in the respiratory tract and lymphoid tissues 4 and 8 days later, indicating a low susceptibility of sheep to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection 22 . Experimentally infected poultry (chickens, ducks, and turkeys) were found to be resistant to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection 23 .…”

Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Suggestive of Single Events of Spillover to Cattle, Germany

“…R esidents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in the United States have suffered a disproportionate number of deaths from SARS-CoV-2 (1). Testing frequency and result turnaround times may be more relevant than test sensitivity for infection control (2,3), information that might be used to guide infection control efforts in congregate living facilities (4). Semimonthly testing for SARS-CoV-2 was mandated in Florida, USA, for all employees and residents of skilled nursing, elder care, and assisted living facilities beginning June 7, 2020 (5).…”

“…Under experimental conditions, various animal species could be infected with SARS-CoV-2, including nonhuman primates, felids, canids, mustelids, white-tailed deer, and several species of Cricetidae rodents; poultry or swine were not susceptible (2). For domestic ruminants such as cattle, sheep, or goats, susceptibility after experimental inoculation was low; only a small proportion of animals could be infected without animal-to-animal transmission (3)(4)(5). Furthermore, 26 cattle exposed in the field to SARS-CoV-2 by contact with their infected keepers tested negative by reverse transcription PCR (6).…”

Characterization of Entry Pathways, Species-Specific Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Residues Determining Entry, and Antibody Neutralization Evasion of Omicron BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, and BA.3 Variants

“…Apart from humans, SARS-CoV-2 was also found to naturally infect diverse domestic and wild animal species, including farm minks ( 19 , 20 ), companion pets (e.g., cats, dogs, ferrets, Syrian hamsters) ( 21 – 23 ), zoo animals (e.g., lions, tigers, cougars, snow leopards, gorillas, otters, hippopotami) ( 24 ), and free-ranging white-tailed deer ( 25 ). Furthermore, experimental infections in livestock species have determined low-level replication of ancestral variants in cattle ( 26 , 27 ), pigs ( 28 ), and sheep ( 27 , 29 ). These observations signify the broad host range of SARS-CoV-2 and the risk of infection by heavily mutated variants to give rise to potential reservoirs that may pose a further risk for spillover back to humans.…”