SUSCEPTIBILITY AND THE POTENTIAL ADAPTATION OF SARS-COV-2 IN LIVESTOCK

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The COVID-19 pandemic has dispersed a new strain of coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2) throughout the world. During the rapid global spread, the new virus continues to mutate and there are now numerous genetic versions of SARS-CoV-2. The U.S. livestock sector plays an indispensable role in the safe and reliable food supply, employment, and economic development, so it is critical to understand if SARS-CoV-2 viruses can pose a threat to livestock. The goals of this project are to investigate the susceptibility of livestock to SARS-CoV-2 and to determine if the virus may adapt and efficiently spread among livestock. The research will use a combination of experimental infection studies using cell cultures and animals along with computer models to assess the chance for the virus to efficiently infect livestock species. Additionally, the project will develop diagnostic tests and use them to monitor the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in livestock animals. Chickens, cattle, and pigs are major animal agriculture species in the U.S., and through this project, a better understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 may affect them will be gained.