Worms & Germs Blog

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By: The University of Guelph

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Maureen Anderson
Scott Weese

Latest from Worms & Germs Blog

I figured I might as well hit double digits before circling back to update the earlier reviews of COVID-19 in animals. This group doesn’t get talked about much, but there are some important issues to consider with regard to non-human primates. Not surprisingly, many non-human primates are known to be, or are likely, susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. In particular, it has been shown that the ACE2 receptor (ACE2) from apes, as well as African and Asian …
In the antimicrobial stewardship area, there are a number of things that would be so easy to address (the “low hanging fruit”) but have received surprisingly little attention. A prime example is human use of antibiotic products intended for use in animals that are purchased over-the-counter (OTC) or over-the internet, without a prescription.  Yes, this still occurs in some regions. Until a few years ago, even in Canada you could have bought a variety of…
By the ninth installment in this series we’ve moved away from our familiar domestic animals, but there are still a few species worth highlighting. Bats aren’t actually one species though, they’re a diverse group of over 1400 unique species. Some eat insects, some eat fruit, some eat small critters like frogs, and some eat blood (yes, vampire bats do exist, but no, they don’t die if they’re exposed to garlic or sunlight). One thing they…
We are looking to recruit Canadian veterinary clinic staff who have had COVID-19 themselves for a study to learn more about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from people to their own pets (dogs, cats, ferrets). This study is being performed by Drs. Scott Weese and Dorothee Bienzle from the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. Who can be included? We are looking to obtain serum samples from: Dogs, cats and ferrets that have had one or more…
This one’s easy. Birds are not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Stop reading here if that’s all you want to know.  If you’d like a little more detail read on… The SARS-CoV-2 virus originated in mammals (most likely in bats, which will be the topic of the next review) and has spread to other mammals (especially people, of course). Birds are, well, birds, so they’re not mammals. Some viruses like both birds and mammals, but most don’t.…
Headline:  “Are Dogs Spreading SARS-CoV-2?  Study Finds Living With a Dog Increases Risk of Contracting COVID-19” NO, it did NOT! Even though the paper said that, it’s not what they actually found.  Unfortunately, a lot of people are reading that headline, or worse, they’re reading “…yada yada… dogs spreading SARS-CoV-2… yada yada.” What did the study really find? Let’s break down some important aspects of the paper on which this headline is based. …
I’m going to have to go back to the start soon and update previous reviews of COVID-19 in animals, but there are still a couple of more species worth mentioning first. Cattle are an obvious consideration because they are important food animals that are widely raised in countries around the world, and they are often housed in large groups. Some cattle, especially dairy cattle, have a lot of contact with people. More human contact…
Denmark is one of the largest mink producing countries in the world, and mink on numerous farms have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 from farm workers with COVID-19. At last report, 216 farms were affected. That wasn’t too surprising since outbreaks on mink farms have been seen in several countries, with particularly widespread infection on farms in the Netherlands. The issue is a recent report by the Serum Statens Institute (SSI) and some government releases about …
Perhaps this is one you didn’t see coming, but there have been lots of discussions about SARS-CoV-2 and marine mammals. You may think, “people don’t have much contact with marine mammals,” and of course you’d be correct, if you meant direct contact. However, human activity (and waste) can significantly influence marine mammal health. What’s the risk of direct transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to marine mammals? This is a concern for a very small group…
What the story with SARS-CoV-2 in horses? This one’s easy to answer: we have no clue. There’s been almost no investigation or research regarding this virus in horses. Horses often get left out in situations like this because they’re livestock, but not (typically) food animals, and investigation of livestock tends to focus on food animal species. Horses are often more akin to companion animals, but a smaller number of people own or have contact with…