Which Animals Will Most Likely Cause The Next Big Pandemic?

When the novel coronavirus was spreading around the world, humans were not the only species reported getting infected. Animals from different parts of the world were also reported to have been infected, according to Nature.

Nadia, the tiger in New York City, is the first non-domesticated animal to be infected with the coronavirus. Hong Kong also reported pet cats being infected, and minks on mink farms in the Netherlands were culled due to coronavirus.

With studies on the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 most likely points to animals, experts are studying which among the animals will most likely cause another big pandemic, such as the COVID-19.

Animals Most Likely to Cause the Next Big COVID Outbreak

A new study predicted that cats, rabbits, and hedgehogs would most likely cause the next deadly COVID outbreak. Virologists Dr. Marcus Blagrove from the University of Liverpool said that their study aims to know where the next coronavirus might come from, BBC reported.

The researchers used artificial intelligence to design a prediction model that prioritizes potential hosts of virus strains that were already identified but have not yet transmitted or reached humans. Artificial intelligence was previously used to predict an unsuspected animal host of a new and potentially deadly coronavirus strain.

But finding which of the 876 potential mammal species might host coronavirus is easy. Often scientists identify dozens of them. The real trick was finding which of them could host two strains at once that could become a breeding ground for a mutant virus.

"One way [viruses are] generated is through recombination between two existing coronaviruses," said Blagrove. "So two viruses infect the same cell and they recombine into a 'daughter' virus that would be an entirely new strain."

Recombination of two strains of SARS-CoV-2 has been recently discovered in California, according to a report from Science Times. An algorithm based on the assessment of biological similarities between known hosts and related species will help identify sources of recombinant strains, said Dr. Maya Warden.

Fox News reported that civet, common hedgehog, the European rabbit, dromedary camel, some primate species, and domesticated cats and pigs were named the prime suspects for SARS-CoV-2 recombination. These species add to the common list of coronavirus hosts, which are bats and pangolins.

ALSO READ: Cats and Dogs Are Now Vulnerable to COVID-19 Infection, Experts Say

What To Do Around Animals

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States said that because animals can carry germs that can make people sick, it is always a good habit to practice healthy behaviors around pets and other animals.

CDC said to wash hands after handling animals, their food, waste, or supplies. Also, practice good pet hygiene, and clean up after pets properly. Visit or contact a veterinarian for any questions about your pet's health.

Be aware that children under the age of five and those with weakened immune systems like older adults are all susceptible to germs and viruses that may come from animals.

In the end, scientists hope that the findings of their study will result in more thorough monitoring of how animals and humans meet. Most likely, a viral "spillover" from animals to people is the result of reckless human behavior.

They published their study in Nature Communications on February 16.