SARS-Cov-2 variants can infect wider range of animal cells, study finds
"Variants of the virus need to adapt when they reach new species and improving our understanding of what those adaptations are is helpful" - Dr Dalan Bailey.
New research carried out by scientists at The Pirbright Institute has found that SARS-Cov-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, can potentially infect a wider number of animal cells.
Published in Journal of General Virology, the study discovered that the Alpha, Beta and Delta variants can infect more species, in comparison to the ancestral virus strain, owing to mutations in its genetic code.
Head of Pirbright's Viral Glycoproteins group, Dr Dalan Bailey, said: “It is really important to understand the mechanism of how SARS-CoV-2 gains entry to cells to make sure we’re using the right animal models when testing in the lab.
“Our results support the current models being used, but it’s important to know that you’re using the right species.”
The researchers tested ACE2 receptors, which SARS-Cov-2 uses as a host cell by binding to the ACE2 using spike proteins found on the surface of the virus. Testing these ACE2 receptors from a range of different animals, including mice, rats, hamsters, ferrets, civets and pigs, researchers found that changes to these proteins allowed the virus to enter host cells, and infect a wider range of species.
Dr Bailey continued: “Variants of the virus need to adapt when they reach new species and improving our understanding of what those adaptations are is helpful.
“But it’s not the whole story. The entry into the cell is just one step. There are some species with cells that allow virus entry but not replication, or infection.
“That is harder to understand, and the G2P Consortium (a national research project studying emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2) is working together to try and figure out why that is.”
The research will allow scientists to predict which animals can be infected with SARS-Cov-2, and determine whether this poses a risk to other animals and humans. It can also help scientists to develop animal models for COVID-19.
The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
