Research indicates chickens and pigs are not susceptible to COVID-19

April 23, 2020

Though not yet peer-reviewed, research conducted at Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute and another study conducted by a Chinese research group show chickens and pigs cannot contract COVID-19. While the data from the German study is promising, basic details, such as the number of animals utilized, are not included in this initial report.

The summary indicates the animals were inoculated nasally with the virus that causes COVID-19.  Researchers found that fruit bats contracted the disease, but it did not spread to other bats. The ferrets, which are used as a model for human respiratory disease, both contracted the disease and spread it among their cohorts. The more complete information from the Chinese study shows the same findings. Most importantly, in both of these studies, chickens and pigs did not contract the virus.