Coronaviruses

Coronaviruses

Coronaviruses cause a number of important diseases in livestock, poultry, companion animals, and humans, including infectious bronchitis (poultry), transmissible gastroenteritis virus (pigs), calf diarrhoea, enteritis (turkeys), and porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED). The emergence of zoonotic coronaviruses causing MERS, SARS, and Covid-19 as well as the new pig disease PED has increased interest in this group of viruses and their ability to jump species. Even if it is found that the virus causing COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged from an animal source, and some animals have become infected by people, the current pandemic is being driven by human to human contact, and there is no evidence, to date, that animals are playing a significant role in spreading the disease. Bats have been implicated in the origins of emerging coronaviruses.

On 30th June, STAR-IDAZ IRC with the  Collaborative Working Group on Animal Health & Welfare Research (CWG-AHW) organised an online workshop on ‘Pandemic: a one health view of emerging infectious diseases’. A report of the worksop can be seen at: https://www.star-idaz.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/PANDEMIC-Webinar-Report-030820.pdf  and a recording of the workshop can be seen online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8poA5_XLec

STAR-IDAZ IRC is conducting gap analyses and developing roadmaps for disease control. For the zoonotic coronaviruses, a one-health approach, coordinating the human and animal research initiative will be needed.

The current state of Coronavirus research in livestock is covered in the Annual state-of-the art report on animal health research on IRC priorities.