BF OUR BEST FRIENDS
TheJournalNJ.com | APRIL 2020 11
Going Viral: Our Best Friends
and the Coronavirus
BY DIANE L. GRIGG
Hysteria is never a good thing. The energy
it creates becomes quickly out of control,
affecting wider and wider parameters. The
outbreak of this rampant emotion leads to a distortion
of facts with a high dose of anxiety and
panic. In this period of history, we are globally
ghting a microscopic enemy, a virus, a potent
concoction of cells that, under the right conditions,
can multiply rapidly even before a host
shows any signs of infection. Healthy individuals
with strong immune systems are the least of its
targets. This new novel virus appears to affect
those under situations which cause immune suppression.
It does not play favorites, yet that does
not spell defeat. The scientic community has to
rise up and gure it out.
Disease spreads through many avenues. Viruses,
like the current COVID-19 virus, are coronaviruses,
transmitted through the air and affecting
the respiratory system. This opportunistic virus
uses the air we breathe collectively to settle in the
respiratory tract and multiply. We all breathe the
same air, albeit ltered through the atmosphere
of whatever pollution exists in our local environment. This environmental
manipulation allows these intruders to prey upon the perfect hosts. Some
researchers believe the respiratory damage done via air pollution allows
these insidious viruses a wide open door.
Coronaviruses are identied as such because of the virus particles surrounding
the cell resembling the ring of light encircling the sun, giving it
a coronated, crown-like halo. These particles are able to attach themselves
and incorporate into a host cell thereby becoming a part of replication
and translation. Viruses cannot replicate unless merged in a host cell. The
coronaviruses genome, its genetic makeup, becomes part of the host cell’s
translation of the DNA message. Each and every cell is affected by this uninvited
guest. Once integrated, it can be difcult to halt the process. The cells
are then able to carry out the message of infection.
The collection of coronaviruses is known to affect mammals and birds.
So it is a natural inclination to think that the current novel coronavirus will
at some point affect the animals we share our life with. This cross-species
transmission or interspecies transmission is worrisome as at this point
COVID-19 has been weakly detected in some dogs in Asia. It is believed
that these dogs were infected by the humans they interacted with, yet have
not shown symptoms of the virus.
The most recent ancestor of the coronavirus is believed to be from
around 000 BCE and originated from bats and birds. The ability to y enabled
virulent creatures to spread the contagion rapidly in a population. A
coronavirus infecting cows and dogs was discovered in 1951, evolving from
a cow/human coronavirus which diverged from a horse virus at the end of
the 18th century. In the 1960s, a chicken coronavirus evolved. Veterinary
medicine ofcially recognized the virus in the 1970s. A vaccine for the coronavirus
exists, but it is not routinely given to most dogs.
A canine coronavirus can attack the digestive system, spreading from
dog to dog through contact with feces. Symptoms include fever, vomiting
and loss of appetite. Keeping dogs away from infected animals is the best
precaution as is frequently washing bedding. Staying away from a dog park
is a wise choice. Viruses are hard to treat. A pathogen must run its course
before an animal is OK. Puppies and those with compromised immune systems
often succumb and die.
In cats, the coronavirus evolved into two forms: feline enteric coronavirus
and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a disease which causes certain
death. If shelters do not triage and isolate incoming animals, these
infections can spread quickly. Because symptoms can be problematic, a cat
can be adopted exhibiting no symptoms. Once introduced into a multi-cat
household these viruses can gain an advantage. Ferrets and rabbits, too,
can be affected by a coronavirus. They can develop a lethal gastrointestinal
syndrome. Pigs are affected by a bat-related virus which causes acute diarrhea.
Because chickens, cows and pigs, as well as other exotic animals are
consumed globally, it is no wonder that coronaviruses have developed the
ability to rapidly mutate potentially affecting large populations.
At this time there is no empirical evidence that the novel coronavirus,
COVID-19, can spread to our best friends via interacting with us. It is suggested
that those affected stay quarantined until such time the virus has
run its course. This is difcult for those who enjoy outings with their animal
companions, especially dogs. The best advice is to stay calm and adhere to
routine sanitation procedures. If there is a possibility of infection, resist the
urge to cuddle or kiss your animals. Contact your veterinarian before there
is an issue and nd out what other precautions to take. Stay informed, not
paranoid. This approach, in the end, is the best way to keep our best friends
and ourselves safe.
/TheJournalNJ.com