General information
Respiratory coronavirus, first detected in 2019 and then temporarily referred to as “2019-nCoV”, is now better known as SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) or “COVID-19 virus”. According to current knowledge, all mammals can be infected with this virus, and cats, lagomorphs, hamsters and ferrets are particularly susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and have a higher probability of developing clinical signs.
Signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection can range from nasal discharge to sneezing, extensive inflammation of the respiratory tract up to diarrhoea. However, non-specific signs such as lethargy or weight loss have also been described. In Germany, there is an obligation to notify the authorities!