家养宠物不易传播奥密克戎，其它动物就不一定了
西班牙研究人员本周发布的一项新研究显示，如果宠物主人感染了奥密克戎，宠物只有10%的几率会感染病毒，而且均为无症状，因此不大可能导致病毒变异成更危险的变种并进行传播。
去年12月至今年3月，西班牙的50只狗、28只猫和1只兔子在主人隔离期间接受了新冠病毒检测。研究人员在周三发表在科研预印本网站medRxiv上的研究报告中写道，上述宠物均未表现出感染症状，只有十分之一的宠物检测呈阳性。而即使是阳性宠物，携带的病毒数量也较低，意味着宠物传播这种病毒的可能性更小，尽管这种病毒有时可以致命。
该报告称，其他研究发现，Alpha和Delta等其他新冠病毒毒株更容易传播给家庭宠物，被感染的宠物出现症状的可能性也更高，阳性宠物身上检测到的病毒载量也更高。
随着新冠病毒新变体的出现，人们担心新冠病毒可能会由人类传播给家庭宠物等其他物种，从而引发病毒进一步演化变异成更危险的毒株。
这项聚焦于奥密克戎和家庭宠物的研究与今年早些时候发表的关于奥密克戎在水貂身上的研究形成了反差。后者发现，奥密克戎在水貂中广泛传播，许多水貂出现了症状，其中一些还出现了病变。该研究称，白尾鹿对奥密克戎病毒也高度易感，尽管它们与人类的接触并不频繁。
动物园的野生豹子、鬣狗和河马以及宠物雪貂和仓鼠中都曾发现过感染新冠病毒的案例，水貂和白尾鹿等一些物种中还迅速传播。据《自然》（Nature）杂志报道，与以前的毒株变体相比，易受奥密克戎感染的动物范围更广，在火鸡、鸡和老鼠身上都曾发现这种病毒。
新冠病毒被认为起源于蝙蝠，然后通过麝香猫传染给人类。麝香猫是一种夜间活动的动物，与生活在欧洲、亚洲和非洲的獴有关。根据美国国立卫生研究院(U.S. National Institutes of Health)国家医学图书馆网站上一篇2021年的论文，10年前首次发现的另一种冠状病毒——中东呼吸综合征冠状病毒（MERS）被认为起源于骆驼。（财富中文网）
译者：Agatha
西班牙研究人员本周发布的一项新研究显示，如果宠物主人感染了奥密克戎，宠物只有10%的几率会感染病毒，而且均为无症状，因此不大可能导致病毒变异成更危险的变种并进行传播。
去年12月至今年3月，西班牙的50只狗、28只猫和1只兔子在主人隔离期间接受了新冠病毒检测。研究人员在周三发表在科研预印本网站medRxiv上的研究报告中写道，上述宠物均未表现出感染症状，只有十分之一的宠物检测呈阳性。而即使是阳性宠物，携带的病毒数量也较低，意味着宠物传播这种病毒的可能性更小，尽管这种病毒有时可以致命。
该报告称，其他研究发现，Alpha和Delta等其他新冠病毒毒株更容易传播给家庭宠物，被感染的宠物出现症状的可能性也更高，阳性宠物身上检测到的病毒载量也更高。
随着新冠病毒新变体的出现，人们担心新冠病毒可能会由人类传播给家庭宠物等其他物种，从而引发病毒进一步演化变异成更危险的毒株。
这项聚焦于奥密克戎和家庭宠物的研究与今年早些时候发表的关于奥密克戎在水貂身上的研究形成了反差。后者发现，奥密克戎在水貂中广泛传播，许多水貂出现了症状，其中一些还出现了病变。该研究称，白尾鹿对奥密克戎病毒也高度易感，尽管它们与人类的接触并不频繁。
动物园的野生豹子、鬣狗和河马以及宠物雪貂和仓鼠中都曾发现过感染新冠病毒的案例，水貂和白尾鹿等一些物种中还迅速传播。据《自然》（Nature）杂志报道，与以前的毒株变体相比，易受奥密克戎感染的动物范围更广，在火鸡、鸡和老鼠身上都曾发现这种病毒。
新冠病毒被认为起源于蝙蝠，然后通过麝香猫传染给人类。麝香猫是一种夜间活动的动物，与生活在欧洲、亚洲和非洲的獴有关。根据美国国立卫生研究院(U.S. National Institutes of Health)国家医学图书馆网站上一篇2021年的论文，10年前首次发现的另一种冠状病毒——中东呼吸综合征冠状病毒（MERS）被认为起源于骆驼。（财富中文网）
译者：Agatha
Only 10% of household pets whose owners had Omicron came down with the virus and none were symptomatic, making them unlikely candidates to mutate and spread a more dangerous version of COVID, according to a new study released this week by Spanish researchers.
Fifty dogs, 28 cats and one rabbit in Spain were tested for COVID-19 during their owners' quarantine between December and March. None displayed symptoms, and only a tenth tested positive, researchers wrote in the study, published Wednesday to research preprint site medRxiv. In those who tested positive, viral counts were low, making the pets less likely to spread the sometimes deadly virus.
Other studies have found that other COVID variants like Alpha and Delta were more easily transmitted to household pets, that infected pets were more likely to show symptoms, and that higher viral loads were detected in the pets, according to the study.
With new COVID variants come concerns about potential transmission from humans to other species, like household pets, in which the virus could evolve and mutate in to a more dangerous strain.
The study's findings on Omicron in household pets contrast with a study on Omicron in minks published earlier this year. It found rampant spread of Omicron among minks, many of whom had symptoms and some of whom developed lesions. White-tailed deer have also been found to be highly susceptible to Omicron, though their contact with humans is infrequent, the study said.
COVID has been found in a wild leopards, hyenas and hippos at zoos, and pet ferrets and hamsters, and spreads rapidly in some species like minks and white-tailed deer. A broader swath of animals may be susceptible to Omicron, which has been found in turkeys, chickens, and mice, when compared to previous COVID variants, according to Nature.
COVID is thought to have originated in bats before being transmitted to humans via civet cats, nocturnal creatures related to the mongoose that live in Europe, Asia, and Africa. MERS, another coronavirus first identified a decade ago, is thought to have originated in camels, according to a 2021 paper published on the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine website.
