The project was initiated by Jacqueline Brown, a research associate at Vanderbilt University and an avid equestrian.
I began to worry about other animals that might serve as a reservoir for illness or be at risk.Since MERS infects camels, I was worried about what would happen if my horse was able toTo get infected with it?! Horses have massive lungs and a sensitive respiratory system, and we humans often touch their nose and mouth.
by Jacqueline Brown, Vanderbilt University
Brown and her team started by usingcombinations of genetic sequences and structural analysis of the receptor protein for the virus - ACE2 - for a number of species known to be either sensitive or resistant to COVID-19. This identified five amino acid regions in the protein that affect the level of an animal's vulnerability.
The team used this data to develop an algorithm that predicts the susceptibility of other species by analyzing their ACE2 sequences.
In addition to horses and camels, the algorithm foundthat the Chinese horseshoe bat has a high risk of contracting the virus. He also gave intermediate estimates of susceptibility to Malay pangolins, cows, goats and sheep.
Researchers believe these findings mayhelp protect people, wildlife, livestock, and food sources from infection. Scientists are confident their approach can be applied to other viruses or during future outbreaks.
The research team has posted their algorithm on a website where anyone can download the ACE2 animal sequences to determine the COVID-19 susceptibility score.
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