SARS-CoV-2 in Animals: What goes around …comes around

Institute Seminar by Jürgen Richt

  • Date: Jan 10, 2023
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Jürgen Richt
  • Jürgen Richt is a Regents and University Distinguished Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University. The overall goal of his research is to investigate zoonotic, emerging and transboundary diseases of livestock focusing mainly on viral diseases.
  • Location: Bückle St. 5a, 78467 Konstanz
  • Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Bücklestrasse + Online
  • Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • Contact: all.science@ab.mpg.de
SARS-CoV-2 in Animals: What goes around …comes around
In this presentation, our work assessing the susceptibility of different animal species such as cats, pigs, sheep, cattle and white-tailed deer to experimental SARS-CoV-2 infection will be summarized, and detailed descriptions of the clinical disease and transmissibility in these animal models will be provided. The results of these studies are critical: (i) for our understanding of the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 in naturally and experimentally susceptible host species; (ii) for the development of preclinical COVID-19 animal models; and (iii) for risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infections in domestic and wild animals and the possible transmission to other animals and humans. In summary, a comprehensive understanding of animal susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 is crucial to inform public health and agricultural systems, and to guide environmental policies. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and responsible for the current pandemic. The susceptibility of domestic and wild animal species to infection is a critical facet of the SARS-CoV-2 ecology, since reverse zoonotic spillover events resulting in SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in animal populations could result in the establishment of new virus reservoirs. Adaptative virus mutations in new animal species could also complicate ongoing mitigation strategies to combat SARS-CoV-2. In addition, animal species susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection are essential as preclinical models for the development and efficacy testing of effective vaccines and therapeutics.
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