As SARS-CoV-2 continues to rip through the human population, we’re getting more information about downstream impacts, including transmission to animals. One of my talking points since the start of the pandemic has been that we want to keep this virus in the human population. If we spread it to animals, it will be much harder
Omicron and Animals
It’s been a pretty chaotic week in the zoonotic SARS-CoV-2 world, with a lot of attention being paid to hamsters in Hong Kong and deer in Canada.
However, one issue that’s gotten less attention is the need to keep up with this virus as it changes, through serial waves and new variants, and to
The Great Escape: Hamster Style
I doubt it will involve tunnelling under the wall and fake travel documents, but the 2022 Great Hamster Escape is apparently underway in Hong Kong. It’s not surprising, following the recent heavy-handed over-reaction to finding SARS-CoV-2 in a small number of hamsters, and the attempted blame-shifting (COVID-19? No, we don’t have any of that
SARS-CoV-2 in Pet Hamsters (and a Massive Over-Reaction)
As someone who works in zoonotic diseases and One Health, I deal with the ever-present issue of trying to raise awareness while preventing people from over-reacting, panicking or doing something stupid. It can be tough, since we want people to realize that animal-to-human transmission of infections is an important issue, but don’t want them huddling
Update: COVID-19 in Animals Review Part 7: Cattle
As I keep going through these updates, some are pretty easy since we’ve learned little since I originally wrote them last year. For cattle, that’s largely because the initial take home message was “they’re not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, so mooove on.”
That’s not a completely accurate assessment since “susceptible” isn’t really yes/no distinction in
Update: A Guide to Mitigating the Risk of Infection in Veterinary Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic (December 2021)
The title says it all.
The latest version of A Guide to Mitigating the Risk of Infection in Veterinary Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic (23-Dec-2021) has been released. It can also be accessed through the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association Coronavirus FAQ webpage (member login required).
Previous versions of the guidance and other related documents can
Update: COVID-19 in Animals Review Part 6: Marine Mammals
Here’s one that’s pretty easy to update because we don’t know much more than when I posted the original review. That’s partly because it’s not exactly easy to get data on exposure and infection of marine mammals with SARS-CoV-2. I assume no one’s going to do an experimental study on such animals, and we
More About SARS-CoV-2 in Deer
I’ve been a laggard with blog posts lately. It’s a bit crazy and it’s been easier to get things out quickly via Twitter (@weese_scott). However, one interesting topic I wanted to get back to is SARS-CoV-2 in deer. It’s caused a big stink in some areas and, like a lot of things involving
Update: COVID-19 in Animals Review Part 5: Horses
This one’s as easy to write as the first version… we still have no clue.
Overall, the health risk to horses from SARS-CoV-2 is probably very low. If horses were getting sick, or at least very sick, we would have noticed by now. I’ve not had any indication that we’re seeing a disease impact
Update: COVID-19 in Animals Review Part 4: Mustelids (Mink and Ferrets)
Mink are not a species most people think about. When they do, they typically think of mink coats or fur farming protests. While the mink industry has been on the decline in most regions for many years, there is still a massive number of mink being farmed for fur internationally. Some of these farms are