Animal Welfare in a Pandemic What Does COVID-19 Tell us for the Future?

Animal Welfare in a Pandemic explores the impact of COVID-19 on a wide array of animals, from those in the wild to companion and captive animals. During the height of the pandemic, a range of animals were infected, and many died, but this was hard to predict, even using up-to-date bioinformatics. Lockdowns around the world had, and continue to have, a major effect on animals’ welfare, influencing pet ownership and care, as well as impacting on the work of conservation institutes due to the lack of visitors and funding and lack of tourist presence in the wild which impacted on anti-poaching efforts. Some of the vast amount of personal protection equipment (PPE) that was distributed was discarded, creating both dangers and occasional opportunities for wild animals. With the rollout of human vaccines, some countries started developing animal vaccines, only some of which were deployed. In summary, the pandemic had a wide-ranging influence on animal welfare around the world. This is reviewed to highlight what can be learned to protect and enhance animal welfare in future epidemics/pandemics, and contribute to a genuinely One Health approach where the health and welfare of both humans and animals are considered holistically.

This book is authored by members of the University of the West of England, Bristol, who span a range of expertise in Biological Sciences, Social Sciences, Animal Welfare, and Ethics.
John T. Hancock is Professor of Cell Signalling at the University of West of England, Bristol (UWE) UK. He studied at the University of Bristol where he obtained a BSc(Hons) in Biochemistry (1984) and then a PhD (1987). He stayed at Bristol where he held post-doctoral research positions for six years, before he moved to UWE in 1993. He has been at UWE ever since. John has a long-standing interest in how small relatively reactive molecules are able to partake in cell signalling events in cells. This often centres around the chemistry of reduction and oxidation (redox). He has authored several editions of the textbook Cell Signalling, published by Oxford University Press, as well as publishing over two hundred academic articles. He holds several editorial positions with journals, most notably being the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Oxygen. Recently, John has published the book Why Elephants Cry: How Observing Unusual Animal Behaviours Can Predict the Weather (and other Environmental Phenomena) with CRC Press. He has also written several articles on COVID-19, including about the impact of the pandemic on animals and animal welfare, and it was this which initiated the writing of this book.

Tim J. Craig originally studied Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at the University of Oxford, graduating in 2000, before studying for a PhD at the University of Liverpool on the molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release. His first postdoctoral position was in ion channel physiology at the University of Oxford (2004-2009) followed by a senior postdoctoral position at the University of Bristol (2009-2015), during which he worked on many aspects of molecular neuroscience, including synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter release. Since 2015, he has had an academic position at the University of the West of England, Bristol, where he is currently an Associate Professor of Neuroscience. In this role he teaches on many different courses, and provides most of the neuroscience teaching on the Biological and Biomedical Sciences degree courses. His research currently focusses on the role of dietary factors in neuronal health and function.

Ros C. Rouse originally studied Psychology at the University of Bristol. She is a science policy expert with extensive Research Council experience. Ros currently concentrates on promoting integrity in research at the University of the West of England, and is a member of the University’s Ethics and Integrity Committee. She has a strong personal commitment to the welfare of animals, and believes that every animal counts. Ros is committed to a vision of One Health in which the health and wellbeing of animals is considered, as well as the impact of their health on humans. Ros has co-authored several articles on COVID-19 and animals. Ros is also an artist, focussing on wildlife and the natural world.
Table of Contents:
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.
Introduction.
COVID-19 pandemic and the virus that caused it.
The origin of the SARS-CoV-2.
Effects SARS-CoV-2 on the human population.
Why it is important to incorporate animals into discussion; One Health One Welfare One Medicine.
Conclusions.
Can the Susceptibility of Animals to SARS-CoV-2 be Predicted?
Introduction.
A quick crash-course in molecular biology.
Can molecular biology help?
Which animals are predicted to be infected?
What data is missing?
How can analysis using in silico techniques be improved to aid in future prediction?
Conclusions.
Animals Which Were Infected in the Real World.
Introduction.
Which animals were infected.
What was not known.
How risk, uncertainty and ambiguity were handled.
How can transmission of the virus in animals be better tracked and real time evidence made publicly and globally available?
Non mammals and COVID-19.
Conclusions.
Animal Vaccines.
Introduction.
Vaccines developed in animals.
Should animals be vaccinated when human populations are not? Use of laboratory animal models.
Vaccines of the future, will this transform their use in animals?
Conclusions.
Animal Conservation and the Pandemic.
Introduction.
The impact of the pandemic on animal conservation and zoos, wildlife parks and aquaria. The impact on animals in the wild.
Conclusions.
The Indirect Effects of COVID-19 on Animals.
Introduction.
Human perception of animals as transmitters.
Euthanasia/culling programmes which took place around the world.
Animal behaviour, moving into populated areas (analogies to Chernobyl exclusion zone).
PPE being abandoned and the issues it causes.
Massive use of cleaning/disinfectant materials, etc. and impact on the environments.
The effect on companion animals, including dogs, cats and rodents.
Conclusions.
Animals, Pandemics and the Future.
Introduction.
Long-COVID – what we know: a concern for animals?
What can be learnt from COVID-19 for the next epidemic/pandemic?
Sources of future viruses and their transmission, the role of animals.
How to mitigate effects on conservation and use of PPE.
Ethic considerations when contemplating SARS-CoV-2 and animals. One World/One Health/One Medicine.
Plants and ecosystems.
Conclusions.
Final thoughts.