No Covid-19 Risk from Livestock and Pets, Confirms BAU Researchers

In a major relief for the country's public health and livestock sectors, a team of researchers from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has confirmed that livestock and companion animals in close contact with Covid-19 patients show no presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Based on the findings, researchers concluded that the risk of coronavirus transmission from domestic animals to humans in Bangladesh is virtually non-existent. The research paper has recently been published as a short communication in the prestigious international publication, the German Journal of Microbiology.

The investigation began in 2021, driven by initial global uncertainties regarding the origins of the pandemic and the high risk associated with Bangladesh's densely populated environment where humans and animals live in close proximity. Funded by the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) under the Ministry of Education, the research was led by Professor Dr. Md. Sahiduzzaman from the Department of Parasitology at BAU. The research team also included Professor Dr. Rokshana Parvin from the Department of Pathology and Professor Dr. Md. Mahbubul Pratik Siddique from the Department of Microbiology and Hygiene.

Identifying Covid-affected households through local health authorities, samples were collected from eight districts across the country: Mymensingh, Dhaka, Rangpur, Sirajganj, Gaibandha, Bogura, Kishoreganj, and Rajshahi. The team examined blood and nasal swabs from a total of 1,028 animals, including 552 cattle, 135 sheep, 112 goats, 118 cats, and 111 dogs. Among the collected samples, 465 were fecal samples, 363 were nasal swabs, and 200 were blood serum samples, all rigorously analyzed in laboratories using both RT-qPCR and antibody testing methods.

For the RT-qPCR testing, the team attempted to detect the virus's ORF1ab and N genes using test kits from China's Sansure Biotech. For antibody testing, South Korea's Sugentech Sgti-flex IgM/IgG kits were used to verify the presence of antibodies in the blood serum. Promisingly, all tests yielded entirely negative results, with absolutely no trace of the SARS-CoV-2 virus found in any of the animal samples.

This groundbreaking research provides crucial baseline data for Bangladesh's public health, animal husbandry, and pandemic preparedness. However, the researchers cautioned that the situation could change if the virus undergoes mutations in the future. To mitigate potential risks, they recommended maintaining continuous surveillance and expanding further research on livestock while emphasizing the importance of maintaining proper hygiene and safety protocols when handling animals within Covid-infected households.

//DBTech/Arafat Hossain/MUIM//