Midwest pork industry?

I posted this some time ago, from a Vet up in Canada:

By Scott Weese on February 18, 2020

Viruses need to attach to cells to infect them, and they do this by binding to specific receptors on the cell. If a virus can’t attach, it can’t infect. Some receptors are very specific to an individual animal species, while some are more general. These differences in receptor binding explain why some viruses only infect one species (or cell type) while others can infect more. Understanding how a virus attaches to cells, therefore, can help figure out what types of cells and what species can be infected.

A study newly published in the Journal of Virology investigated this, based on knowledge obtained from the related SARS virus (Wan et al, Receptor recognition by novel coronavirus from Wuhan: an analysis based on decade-long structural studies of SARS). They looked at a viral protein (spike protein) and its angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, a SARS virus binding site. Their analysis of the new coronavirus “confidently predicts” that it also uses ACE2 as its receptor. They also predict that a single genetic mutation at one location in the virus’ genome could significantly enhance its ability to bind, and that surveillance for this mutation should be performed.

There’s also an animal side here, in the vein of what I’ve been talking about for a while. This study predicts that the COVID-19 virus can bind to ACE2 from pigs, ferret, cats and some non-human primates with similar efficiency as it does to people.

That’s why I’ve been pushing to make sure infected or quarantined people are kept away from animals and that investigation of exposure includes animals.

The potential susceptibility of cats is obviously a concern given their commonness as pets and the close interaction people have with their cats. Pigs could be an even worse issue. If pigs are able to be infected and shed the virus, it would be a potentially big issue if it entered the pig population. Keeping infected people away from animals of all sorts (human and non-human) should be considered. As with SARS, mice and rats are likely resistant to infection (good from the standpoint of them being reservoirs in the wild but also meaning they can’t be used for experimental study, as those are common lab animals).

I assume there will be lots more to come about this virus and how it works.