Can Rabbits get Covid-19?

Although many individual domestic animals (including rabbits) have now been shown to have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 [1] (Covid), it is unusual for infected animals to show signs of illness and these have generally been mild. Crucially, there is no evidence that domestic animals are significantly involved in the spread of COVID-19 [1],[2]

Yes, pets and other animals can get the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but health officials say the risk of them spreading it to people is low.

Dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, otters, hyenas and white-tailed deer are among the animals that have tested positive, in most cases after contracting it from infected people.

While you don’t have to worry much about getting COVID-19 from your pets, they should worry about getting it from you. People with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should avoid contact with pets, farm animals and wildlife, as well as with other people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[3]

The first documented cases of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in domestic rabbits were published in Vet Science 2022, steming from 144 pet rabbits sampled in France.[4] Pervious studies had experimentally caused infection in domestic rabbits in 2021.[5]

There is evidence of infections of a number of domestic species, either naturally from infected humans or experimentally [1], including cats, dogs, ferrets, hamsters, rabbits, and cattle. It is unusual for infected animals to show signs of illness and these have generally been mild [7–14].

References

[1] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2022) COVID-19 – Events in Animals. Available online: https://www.oie.int/en/what-we-offer/emergency-and-resilience/covid-19/#ui-id-3 (accessed on 20.1.2022).

[2]AP (Associated Press) Can your pet get COVID-19? by EMMA H. TOBIN.

[3] Do animals get infected with SARS-CoV-2 or get COVID-19? RSPCA https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/do-animals-get-infected-with-sars-cov-2-or-get-covid-19/

[4]First Evidence of Natural SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Domestic Rabbits https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/2/49

[5]Susceptibility of rabbits to SARS-CoV-2. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2021; 10(1): 1–7.

[7] Hosie MJ, Hofmann-Lehmann R, Hartmann K et al (2021) Anthropogenic infection of cats during the 2020 covid-19 pandemic. Viruses 13: 185.

[8] Hamer SA, Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Zecca IB et al (2021) SARS-CoV-2 infections and viral isolations among serially tested cats and dogs in households with infected owners in Texas, USA. Viruses 13.

[9] Bosco-Lauth AM, Walker A, Guilbert L et al (2021) Susceptibility of livestock to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Emerging Microbes & Infections 10:2199–2201.

[10] Bosco-Lauth AM, Walker A, Guilbert L et al (2021) Susceptibility of livestock to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Emerging Microbes & Infections 10:2199–2201.

[11] Giner J, Villanueva‐saz S, Tobajas AP et al (2021) SARS‐CoV‐2 seroprevalence in household domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). Animals 11:1–11.

[12] Račnik J, Kočevar A, Slavec B et al (2021) Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to domestic ferret. Emerging Infectious Diseases 27:2450–2453.

[13] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (2020) OIE Technical Factsheet – SARS-CoV-2. Available online. Accessed 17.2.2022.

[14] Mykytyn AZ, Lamers MM, Okba NMA et al (2021) Susceptibility of rabbits to SARS-CoV-2. Emerging Microbes and Infections 10:1–7.