Covid-19—Zoonosis or Emerging Infectious Disease

Bibliographic Data

ID22068099
AuthorsNajmul Haider (0000-0002-5980-3460, University of London), Peregrine Rothman-Ostrow (0000-0001-9711-751X, University of Liverpool), Abdinasir Yusuf Osman (0000-0003-3172-5912, University of London), Liã Bárbara Arruda (0000-0003-3539-8154, University College London), Laura Macfarlane-Berry (0000-0002-1536-6705, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment), Linzy Elton (0000-0003-4270-1553, University College London), Margaret J Thomason (0000-0003-3590-0140, University College London), Dorothy Yeboah‐Manu (0000-0002-1663-6287, University of Ghana), Rashid Ansumana (0000-0002-1973-7200, Njala University), Nathan Kapata (0000-0002-3877-8809, Ministry of Health), Leonard E G Mboera (0000-0001-5746-3776, Southern African Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance), Jonathan Rushton (0000-0001-5450-4202, University of Liverpool), Timothy D McHugh (0000-0003-4658-8594, University College London), David L Heymann (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Alimuddin Zumla (0000-0002-5111-5735, National Health Service), Richard Kock (0000-0002-6561-3209, University of London, corresponding author), Richard A Kock
Year2020
Volume8
Pages596944-596944
Publication date2020-11-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2020.596944
PMID33324602
OpenAlexW3108495613
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited44

The World Health Organization defines a zoonosis as any infection naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans. The pandemic of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been classified as a zoonotic disease, however, no animal reservoir has yet been found, so this classification is premature. We propose that COVID-19 should instead be classified an “ emerging infectious disease (EID) of probable animal origin .” To explore if COVID-19 infection fits our proposed re-categorization vs. the contemporary definitions of zoonoses, we reviewed current evidence of infection origin and transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 virus and described this in the context of known zoonoses, EIDs and “spill-over” events. Although the initial one hundred COVID-19 patients were presumably exposed to the virus at a seafood Market in China, and despite the fact that 33 of 585 swab samples collected from surfaces and cages in the market tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, no virus was isolated directly from animals and no animal reservoir was detected. Elsewhere, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in animals including domesticated cats, dogs, and ferrets, as well as captive-managed mink, lions, tigers, deer, and mice confirming zooanthroponosis. Other than circumstantial evidence of zoonotic cases in mink farms in the Netherlands, no cases of natural transmission from wild or domesticated animals have been confirmed. More than 40 million human COVID-19 infections reported appear to be exclusively through human-human transmission. SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 do not meet the WHO definition of zoonoses. We suggest SARS-CoV-2 should be re-classified as an EID of probable animal origin

Biology · Coronavirus · Disease · Disease reservoir · Domestication · Emerging infectious disease · Mink · Outbreak · Pandemic · Pathology · Veterinary medicine · Virus · Zoonosis · Medicine · SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research · Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology · Zoonotic diseases and public health · Ecology · Virology