Croatian studies clarify the role of animals in the spread of COVID-19

The virus that causes COVID-19 can be transmitted from humans to dogs but not various species of other wild and captive animals, Croatian researchers have found. In two separate studies, results indicated that dogs are not a source of human infections, and that the COVID-19 virus has not been transmitted from infected people or the environment to a limited selection of wild and zoo animals. The study was the first time that circulation of the virus was studied between people and wild animals. With support from the IAEA in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), researchers used real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) to test clinical samples. rRT-PCR, the most reliable method to detect specific genetic material from pathogens, including viruses, is a nuclear-derived technique .