A recent study bu SUN Kun's group has evaluated the risk of infection of SARS-Cov-2 among common pets and livestocks. The study was preprinted on bioRxiv, titled “Atlas of ACE2 gene expression in mammals reveals novel insights in transmission of SARS-Cov-2”.

Collaborating with Beijing Huayuan Academy of Biotechnology, this study was focused on the ACE2 gene, the host receptor of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, and used quantitative data from various mammalian species to infer their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Since SARS-CoV-2 invade both bat and human cells via ACE2, the study reasoned that if animals have ACE2 proteins similar to human, they could also become the targets of SARS-CoV-2, and thus evaluated the conservation of ACE2 gene across mammals. The study further investigated ACE2 expression in various tissues among human and common mammals, particularly including species that live in close proximity with humans, i.e., pets and livestock. The analyses identified potential species susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and yielded novel insights into virus tracing and transmission, which may further contribute to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To find out more about the study, please access:

PubMed Link：https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.30.015644v1

DOI Link：https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.30.015644