It is important, for both human and animal health, to know what species are susceptible to infection by the coronavirus. Our labs and others across the world have tested domestic, captive, and wild animals for the virus, in addition to conducting experiments to determine which species are susceptible.
The list of infected animals so far includes more than a dozen species. But in reality, infections may be much more widespread, as very few species and individual animals have been tested. This has real implications for human health. Animals can not only spread pathogens like the coronavirus but also can be a source of new mutations.
Research has shown that investing in the study of zoonotic diseases could vastly reduce the costs of future pandemics, and this type of complex research has historically been underfunded.
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Yet despite this, in 2021, the CDC allocated only $193 million toward the study of emerging zoonotic infectious diseases — less than a quarter of one percent of the CDC’s total budget.
There are still many unknowns about how viruses transfer between humans and animals, how they live and mutate in animal populations, and the risks of species-jumping viruses. The more researchers know, the better health officials, governments, and scientists can prepare and prevent the next pandemic.
