Dreamstime
NEW YORK - A new study by scientists at the University of Missouri and the USDA identified COVID-19 n New York City rats and also found that some species of the pests are susceptible to the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants of the virus.
The study was co-authored by Julianna Lenoch, national coordinator of the USDA-APHIS Center.
As reported by the New York Post, Lenoch and her team captured and tested nearly 80 Norwegian rats in Brooklyn and found that just over 16% of them had antibodies indicating that were exposed to the virus.
The scientists also used PCR tests on the lungs of the rats they captured and just over 5% tested positive for the virus, although they were unable to find evidence that the species could transmit COVID-19.
The team found that another rodent species commonly used for research purposes, Sprague Dawley rats, are able to be infected by the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants of COVID-19, highlighting the potential for transmission.
The paper has not yet been peer-reviewed.
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