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Research study finds pigs susceptible to COVID-19
A new study by Iowa State University and Canadian partners found pigs can become infected with the coronavirus after inoculation.
The researchers say the disease has been found to infect several animal species and the potential risk for transmission is unknown with more study needed to understand its impact on domestic livestock.
The study, done in Canada, infected 16 pigs to research the spread, susceptibility, and symptoms of the virus. It also contradicts previous reports swine are not susceptible to the virus to which the researchers say they did use a higher viral dose than in previous studies.
Researchers also say no cases have been reported in domestic livestock through natural infection but there needs to be more research in how animals impact the spread.
Now that the state of Iowa has found that 80% of deer in the state were found to have covid, a study should be done to see if those deer are catching covid, not directly from humans, but from hog waste from hog confinements’ waste that is spread on fields, where deer then graze. If so, I would guess that the hogs caught covid from the humans caring for them.