Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from Human to Domestic Ferret
Jožko Raçnik, Ana Kočevar, Brigita Slavec, Miša Korva, Katarina Resman Rus, Samo Zakotnik, Tomaž Mark Zorec, Mario Poljak, Milan Matko, Olga Zorman Rojs, Tatjana Avšič‐Županc
Abstract
N atural infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in domestic animals living in infected households have been reported (1). Because of their increased popularity as a pet (2), domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) pose a high risk for transmitting anthropozoonotic infections. A recent study in Spain showed that natural SARS-CoV-2 infections can occur in ferrets kept as working animals for rabbit hunting, especially if a high viral circulation is present in the human population (3). Further, ferrets are common laboratory animal models and, at least in experimental conditions, have been shown to be highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and likely to transmit the virus to other ferrets without apparent clinical signs (4).