covid-19

COVID-19 is a virus species in the Coronavirus family. Before this pandemic hit the United States early in 2020, few people were aware of coronaviruses, with the notable exception of meat producers and their veterinarians. So, what is the connection between livestock and COVID-19?


First, a brief overview of how viruses work. Viruses are single-celled organisms which require host organisms to reproduce. The exodermic structure of viruses are like keys, made of molecules, which can fit into receptor proteins on animal cell membranes. Then, viruses excrete their DNA into the cell, causing the host’s DNA to mutate so that, when that cell undergoes mitosis, it is producing new virus cells instead of animal cells. But for this to happen, the exodermic structure of the virus must be the proper fit for the animal cell membrane’s receptor proteins. Therefore, viruses are often species-specific, in other words, not zoonotic.


Viruses also usually stick to the same type of somatic cell. Hence, an intestinal virus cannot infect a respiratory cell, because the lock-and-key is not right; respiratory cells have different receptor proteins than intestinal cells.


However, COVID-19 is constantly undergoing mutations. Recall that viruses essentially hijack the reproductive systems of a cell by inserting their DNA into the nucleus of the host cell. But they can also hijack just part of the host DNA, which means that they have new genetic material added to their own. This process produces new strains of the virus. These new strains are capable of infecting other types of cells or new species entirely.


Recently, there have been several species of coronavirus in livestock in the U.S. Here are some examples:

  1. Swine producers and their vets have fought Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) Virus and

  2. Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE) Virus throughout the 2000s.

  3. Cattle producers note that bovine coronavirus species known commonly as scours often cause diarrhea in calves.

  4. Avian influenza was similar to SARS virus in that it attacked the respiratory system.

  5. Companion animal veterinarians recognize Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Virus as a cause of illness in cats.


COVID-19 has been traced to (although not proven to have originated in) a wet market in Wuhan, China. Wet markets have a fascinating array of live animals for sale, which thousands of people purchase for food. The interspecies component means that viruses can mutate easily because they have a large library of genetic material. This hasn’t been a major issue before, but now it seems the right mutation has occurred to cause a global pandemic.


Over the past two years, we have seen cases of COVID-19 in 29 species other than humans, including dogs, cats, rabbits, pigs, goats, cattle, and deer.


In conclusion, SARS-CoV 2 is very adept in its evolutionary capabilities. In order to ethically look after our livestock, we must be very cautious and follow all the safety guidelines. Not only are we responsible for each other's lives, we are responsible for the welfare of our animals.

Pandemic data and information is continuously shifting as research continues. Works cited above include the CDC and the USDA.