Does having a pet or eating chicken cause COVID-19 infection? Coronavirus disease outbreak does not appear to cause any noticeable infections in livestock and poultry, suggest experts.
![Coronavirus Outbreak: Poultry, Livestock Appear to be Safe from COVID-19 Coronavirus Outbreak: Poultry, Livestock Appear to be Safe from COVID-19](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/bird-flu.jpg)
‘Does having a pet or eating chicken cause COVID-19 infection? Coronavirus disease outbreak does not appear to cause any noticeable infections in livestock and poultry.’
Read More..
![pinterest](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/pinterest.png)
The virus causing the COVID-19 outbreak doesn’t appear to cause noticeable infections in livestock and poultry, an Iowa State University veterinarian said. Read More..
![twitter](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/twitter.png)
![facebook](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/facebook.png)
![whatsapp](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/whatsapp.png)
![linkedin](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/linkedin.png)
![pinterest](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/pinterest.png)
That’s good news for U.S. livestock producers, meatpackers and consumers who could use a little stability as the outbreak generates waves of uncertainty that have halted many everyday activities.
But the virus could disrupt U.S. food supply by causing workforce shortages for the meatpacking industry, said Jim Roth, director of the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University.
Roth, Clarence Hartley Covault Distinguished Professor of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, said the virus most likely jumped from an animal species into humans and mutated into a virus that mostly affects people. He said no evidence has emerged that the virus causes noticeable infections in livestock or poultry.
“If livestock were getting the virus and getting sick we’d most likely know that from what’s gone on in other countries,” Roth said. “It does seem to be pretty species specific to people.”
Advertisement
Roth said the possibility of COVID-19 causing widespread infections among livestock producers or meatpacking employees from human to human transfer could disrupt supply chains. Meat packing, processing and distribution occurs around the clock, and fresh meat has a limited shelf life. If a significant portion of meatpacking employees has to stay home because of COVID-19, the workforce shortage could upend operations at plants, Roth said.
Advertisement
Source-Newswise