Should humans be concerned about COVID-19 in animals?

More than two dozen species have tested positive for the virus

• Scott LaMar/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar was formerly the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Scott LaMar photo

Airdate: Thursday, March 17, 2022

Twenty-nine different species of animals have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in the past two years. Among the animals that have contracted the virus are dogs, cats, ferrets, minks, otters, whitetail deer and hippos.

For the most part, these animals haven’t suffered serious illnesses due to the virus.

Even though the virus is thought to have originated in a horseshoe bat, COVID isn’t normally spread from animals to humans. However, the virus can mutate in animals and that is reason for concern.

With us on Thursday’s Smart Talk to discuss animals and COVID are Dr. Eman Anis (microbiologist), Assistant Professor of Pathobiology at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Vet) and Section Head of the Microbiology Lab at the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System (PADLS) at the School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center campus in Chester County and Dr. Erick Gagne (ecologist), Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Ecology at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Vet) and Wildlife Disease Ecologist at the Wildlife Futures Program, a research and diagnostics partnership between Penn Vet and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.