The current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the highly contagious respiratory pathogen SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), has already claimed close to three million lives. SARS-CoV-2 is a zoonotic disease: it emerged from a bat reservoir and it can infect a number of agricultural and companion animal species. SARS-CoV-2 can cause respiratory and intestinal infections, and potentially systemic multi-organ disease, in both humans and animals. The risk for severe illness and death with COVID-19 significantly increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. To combat the pandemic and protect the most susceptible group of older adults, understanding the human-animal interface and its relevance to disease transmission is vitally important. Currently high infection numbers are being sustained via human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Yet, identifying potential animal reservoirs and potential vectors of the disease will contribute to stronger risk assessment strategies. In this review, the current information about SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals and the potential spread of SARS-CoV-2 to humans through contact with domestic animals (including dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters), agricultural animals (e.g., farmed minks), laboratory animals, wild animals (e.g., deer mice), and zoo animals (felines, non-human primates) are discussed with a special focus on reducing mortality in older adults.

目前由高度传染性呼吸道病原体 SARS-CoV-2（严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2）引起的 COVID-19 大流行已夺去了近 300 万人的生命。SARS-CoV-2 是一种人畜共患疾病：它起源于蝙蝠宿主，可以感染许多农业和伴侣动物物种。SARS-CoV-2 可引起人类和动物的呼吸道和肠道感染，以及潜在的全身性多器官疾病。随着年龄的增长，患上 COVID-19 的严重疾病和死亡的风险显着增加，其中老年人的风险最高。为了抗击这一流行病并保护最易受影响的老年人群体，了解人与动物的界面及其与疾病传播的相关性至关重要。目前，SARS-CoV-2 的人际传播持续导致高感染人数。然而，确定该疾病的潜在动物宿主和潜在媒介将有助于制定更强有力的风险评估策略。在本综述中，有关动物中 SARS-CoV-2 感染的最新信息以及 SARS-CoV-2 通过与家畜（包括狗、猫、雪貂、仓鼠）、农业动物（例如养殖的动物）接触而传播给人类的潜在信息讨论了水貂）、实验动物、野生动物（例如鹿鼠）和动物园动物（猫科动物、非人类灵长类动物），特别关注降低老年人的死亡率。