SARS-CoV-2 infections among animals in US zoological institutions resulted primarily from human-to-animal transmission without evidence of sustained evolution in animals (2020–2023)

Key Points

• The aim is to assess the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infections from humans to animals in zoological institutions and understand its implications.
• Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 infection cases in animals from various US zoological facilities
• Identification of transmission pathways and potential outbreaks
• Review of public health implications related to zoonotic diseases
• Infections primarily resulted from human-to-animal transmission
• No evidence of sustained evolution of the virus in animal populations
• Findings underscore the importance of monitoring and mitigating disease spread among vulnerable species