Coronavirus and COVID-19 disease in aquatic animals’ aspects

ABSTRACT

Corona virus is causing a remarkable varity of animal and human diseases. Animals are considered as the primary source of severe corona virus infection such as SARS, MERS, and recently SARS-CoV-2 viral infections. From the early spread of the resent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from the seafood market located at the centre of Wuhan, China, late 2019;there are increasing the concern of corona virus infected animals, including aquatic animals. However, limited studies and resources of aquatic viral infections are available compared with human and animal viral infection studies. Although a varity of viral pathogens infect the aquatic animals and related to viral families that caused diseases to humans and domestic animals, corona viruses are one of these viruses that include alpha-corona virus, beta-corona virus, and gamma-corona virus, these viruses could infect birds and mammals, in addition to aquatic mammals and fishes causing different clinical manifestation associated with pulmonary and hepatic diseases in Belgua whale;mild or asymptomatic signs in dolphins;an outbreak in the Harbour seal with a respiratory illness caused by alpha corona virus;and haemorrhage in fin base with exophthalmia that cause by bafini virus. Because of limited studies that highlight the impact of aquatic animals in spreading viral infections to humans. So, current review aims to give an insight into the role of aquatic animals in resent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from the very recent published studies. This review suggested that it is unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 could be transmitted from aquatic animals to humans, and there is no supportive evidence to support this role. © 2020, Veterinary Practitioner. All rights reserved.