There is currently uncertainty regarding the zoonotic repertoire of SARS-CoV-2. Shi
et al. observed that cats were susceptible. Dogs and ferrets show intermediate vulnerability.
The pathogen failed to infect or replicate in pigs, chickens and ducks [
1
]. Their data strongly suggest that the pathogen's species predilection may be related
to body temperature. The preferred hosts, human and cats, exhibit mean body temperatures
below that of more resistant hosts such as pigs, chicken and ducks (
Table 1), whose corporal temperatures can range between 39°C and 42°C (
Table 1).
Table 1
Rectal/core temperatures (in degrees Celsius) of animals/species and their proclivity
to SARS-CoV-2 Infection
| Animal | Mean temperature | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Suspected hosts | ||
| Chinese pangolin | 33.4–35.5 | Heath 1986 [
8
]
|
| South East Asian bats | 37.1 | Hu 2011 [
9
]
|
| Golden hamster | 36.1 | Eberli 2011 [
10
], Sia 2020 [
11
]
Pathogenesis and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in golden hamsters.
Nature.
2020 May 14;
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2342-5
|
| Permissive hosts | ||
| Masked palm civets ( Paguma larvata) | 36.9 | Wu 2005 [
12
]
|
| Humans | 37 | |
| Cats | 37.8 | Levy 2015 [
13
]
|
| European mink | 36.2–38.4 | Youngman 1990 [
14
]
|
| Intermediate host | ||
| Ferret | 38.2–38.8 | Maxwell 2016 [
15
]
|
| Beagle dogs | 39.1 | Refinetti 2003 [
16
]
|
| Resistant host | ||
| Large white pigs | 39.3–39.8 | Reneaudeau 2007 [
17
]
Reneaudeau 2010 [
18
]
Heldmaier 1974 [
19
]
|
| Ducks | 40.0–41.2 | Smith 1976 [
20
]
Artoni 1989 [
21
]
Marais 2011 [
22
]
|
| White leghorn chickens | 41.6–41.9 | Hu 2019 [
23
,
24
]
|
References
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- Differential changes of regional cerebral blood flow in two bat species during induced hypothermia measured by perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.J Comp Physiol B. 2011; 181: 117-123
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: July 16, 2020
Accepted:
July 12,
2020
Received in revised form:
July 8,
2020
Received:
May 27,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
