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Larska M, Tomana J, Krzysiak MK, Pomorska-Mól M, Socha W. Prevalence of coronaviruses in European bison (Bison bonasus) in Poland. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12928. [PMID: 38839918 PMCID: PMC11153543 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63717-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses have been confirmed to infect a variety of species, but only one case of associated winter dysentery of European bison has been described. The study aimed to analyze the prevalence, and define the impact on the species conservation, the source of coronavirus infection, and the role of the European bison in the transmission of the pathogen in Poland. Molecular and serological screening was performed on 409 European bison from 6 free-ranging and 14 captive herds over the period of 6 years (2017-2023). Presence of coronavirus was confirmed in one nasal swab by pancoronavirus RT-PCR and in 3 nasal swab samples by bovine coronavirus (BCoV) specific real time RT-PCR. The detected virus showed high (> 98%) homology in both RdRp and Spike genes to BCoV strains characterised recently in Polish cattle and strains isolated from wild cervids in Italy. Antibodies specific to BCoV were found in 6.4% of tested samples, all originating from free-ranging animals. Seroprevalence was higher in adult animals over 5 years of age (p = 0.0015) and in females (p = 0.09). Our results suggest that European bison play only a limited role as reservoirs of bovine-like coronaviruses. Although the most probable source of infections in the European bison population in Poland is cattle, other wild ruminants could also be involved. In addition, the zoonotic potential of bovine coronaviruses is quite low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Larska
- Department of Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland
| | | | - Michał K Krzysiak
- Sub-Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Veterinary Faculty, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Pomorska-Mól
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Wojciech Socha
- Department of Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Puławy, Poland.
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2
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Apaa T, Withers AJ, Staley C, Blanchard A, Bennett M, Bremner-Harrison S, Chadwick EA, Hailer F, Harrison SWR, Loose M, Mathews F, Tarlinton R. Sarbecoviruses of British horseshoe bats; sequence variation and epidemiology. J Gen Virol 2023; 104. [PMID: 37319000 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Horseshoe bats are the natural hosts of the Sarbecovirus subgenus that includes SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV- 2. Despite the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still little known about the underlying epidemiology and virology of sarbecoviruses in their natural hosts, leaving large gaps in our pandemic preparedness. Here we describe the results of PCR testing for sarbecoviruses in the two horseshoe bat species (Rhinolophus hipposideros and R. ferrumequinum) present in Great Britain, collected in 2021-22 during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred and ninety seven R. hipposideros samples from 33 roost sites and 277 R. ferrumequinum samples from 20 roost sites were tested. No coronaviruses were detected in any samples from R. ferrumequinum whereas 44 and 56 % of individual and pooled (respectively) faecal samples from R. hipposideros across multiple roost sites tested positive in a sarbecovirus-specific qPCR. Full genome sequences were generated from three of the positive samples (and partial genomes from two more) using Illumina RNAseq on unenriched samples. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the obtained sequences belong to the same monophyletic clade, with >95 % similarity to previously-reported European isolates from R. hipposideros. The sequences differed in the presence or absence of accessory genes ORF 7b, 9b and 10. All lacked the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 spike gene and are therefore unlikely to be infective for humans. These results demonstrate a lack, or at least low incidence, of SARS-CoV-2 spill over from humans to susceptible GB bats, and confirm that sarbecovirus infection is widespread in R. hipposideros. Despite frequently sharing roost sites with R. ferrumequinum, no evidence of cross-species transmission was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ternenge Apaa
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Addlestone, UK
| | - Amy J Withers
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Addlestone, UK
| | - Ceri Staley
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - Adam Blanchard
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - Malcolm Bennett
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - Samantha Bremner-Harrison
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, UK
- Vincent Wildlife Trust, Herefordshire, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Chadwick
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, UK
- Organisms and Environment, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, UK
| | - Frank Hailer
- Organisms and Environment, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, UK
| | - Stephen W R Harrison
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell, UK
| | - Matthew Loose
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Fiona Mathews
- School of Life sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Rachael Tarlinton
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
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Leopardi S, Desiato R, Mazzucato M, Orusa R, Obber F, Averaimo D, Berjaoui S, Canziani S, Capucchio MT, Conti R, di Bella S, Festa F, Garofalo L, Lelli D, Madrau MP, Mandola ML, Moreno Martin AM, Peletto S, Pirani S, Robetto S, Torresi C, Varotto M, Citterio C, Terregino C. One health surveillance strategy for coronaviruses in Italian wildlife. Epidemiol Infect 2023; 151:e96. [PMID: 37263583 PMCID: PMC10282179 DOI: 10.1017/s095026882300081x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent reinforcement of CoV surveillance in animals fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic provided increasing evidence that mammals other than bats might hide further diversity and play critical roles in human infectious diseases. This work describes the results of a two-year survey carried out in Italy with the double objective of uncovering CoV diversity associated with wildlife and of excluding the establishment of a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 in particularly susceptible or exposed species. The survey targeted hosts from five different orders and was harmonised across the country in terms of sample size, target tissues, and molecular test. Results showed the circulation of 8 CoV species in 13 hosts out of the 42 screened. Coronaviruses were either typical of the host species/genus or normally associated with their domestic counterpart. Two novel viruses likely belonging to a novel CoV genus were found in mustelids. All samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2, with minimum detectable prevalence ranging between 0.49% and 4.78% in the 13 species reaching our threshold sample size of 59 individuals. Considering that within-species transmission in white-tailed deer resulted in raising the prevalence from 5% to 81% within a few months, this result would exclude a sustained cycle after spillback in the tested species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Leopardi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università Aldo Moro di Bari, Valenzano, Italy
| | - Rosanna Desiato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Quart, Italy
| | - Matteo Mazzucato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Riccardo Orusa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Quart, Italy
- National Reference Center Wildlife Diseases, Aosta Valley, Quart, Italy
| | - Federica Obber
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Daniela Averaimo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Abruzzo e Molise, Teramo, Italy
| | - Shadia Berjaoui
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Abruzzo e Molise, Teramo, Italy
| | - Sabrina Canziani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia ed Emilia Romagna, Brescia, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Capucchio
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Centro Animali Non Convenzionali (C.A.N.C), University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Raffaella Conti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Lazio e Toscana, Roma, Italy
| | - Santina di Bella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesca Festa
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Luisa Garofalo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Lazio e Toscana, Roma, Italy
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia ed Emilia Romagna, Brescia, Italy
- Molecular Medicine PhD Program, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Maria Lucia Mandola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Quart, Italy
| | | | - Simone Peletto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Quart, Italy
| | - Silvia Pirani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Umbria e Marche, Perugia, Italy
| | - Serena Robetto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, Quart, Italy
| | - Claudia Torresi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale di Umbria e Marche, Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Varotto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Carlo Citterio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Italy
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Islam A, Ferdous J, Islam S, Sayeed MA, Rahman MK, Saha O, Hassan MM, Shirin T. Transmission dynamics and susceptibility patterns of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic, farmed and wild animals: Sustainable One Health surveillance for conservation and public health to prevent future epidemics and pandemics. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:2523-2543. [PMID: 34694705 PMCID: PMC8662162 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The exact origin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and source of introduction into humans has not been established yet, though it might be originated from animals. Therefore, we conducted a study to understand the putative reservoirs, transmission dynamics, and susceptibility patterns of SARS-CoV-2 in animals. Rhinolophus bats are presumed to be natural progenitors of SARS-CoV-2-related viruses. Initially, pangolin was thought to be the source of spillover to humans, but they might be infected by human or other animal species. So, the virus spillover pathways to humans remain unknown. Human-to-animal transmission has been testified in pet, farmed, zoo and free-ranging wild animals. Infected animals can transmit the virus to other animals in natural settings like mink-to-mink and mink-to-cat transmission. Animal-to-human transmission is not a persistent pathway, while mink-to-human transmission continues to be illuminated. Multiple companions and captive wild animals were infected by an emerging alpha variant of concern (B.1.1.7 lineage) whereas Asiatic lions were infected by delta variant, (B.1.617.2). To date, multiple animal species - cat, ferrets, non-human primates, hamsters and bats - showed high susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 in the experimental condition, while swine, poultry, cattle showed no susceptibility. The founding of SARS-CoV-2 in wild animal reservoirs can confront the control of the virus in humans and might carry a risk to the welfare and conservation of wildlife as well. We suggest vaccinating pets and captive animals to stop spillovers and spillback events. We recommend sustainable One Health surveillance at the animal-human-environmental interface to detect and prevent future epidemics and pandemics by Disease X.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariful Islam
- EcoHealth AllianceNew YorkUnited States
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental ScienceDeakin UniversityVictoriaAustralia
- Institute of EpidemiologyDisease Control and Research (IEDCR)DhakaBangladesh
| | - Jinnat Ferdous
- EcoHealth AllianceNew YorkUnited States
- Institute of EpidemiologyDisease Control and Research (IEDCR)DhakaBangladesh
| | - Shariful Islam
- EcoHealth AllianceNew YorkUnited States
- Institute of EpidemiologyDisease Control and Research (IEDCR)DhakaBangladesh
| | - Md. Abu Sayeed
- EcoHealth AllianceNew YorkUnited States
- Institute of EpidemiologyDisease Control and Research (IEDCR)DhakaBangladesh
| | - Md. Kaisar Rahman
- EcoHealth AllianceNew YorkUnited States
- Institute of EpidemiologyDisease Control and Research (IEDCR)DhakaBangladesh
| | - Otun Saha
- EcoHealth AllianceNew YorkUnited States
- Institute of EpidemiologyDisease Control and Research (IEDCR)DhakaBangladesh
- Department of MicrobiologyUniversity of DhakaDhakaBangladesh
| | - Mohammad Mahmudul Hassan
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineChattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences UniversityChattogramBangladesh
| | - Tahmina Shirin
- Institute of EpidemiologyDisease Control and Research (IEDCR)DhakaBangladesh
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Islam A, Ferdous J, Sayeed MA, Islam S, Kaisar Rahman M, Abedin J, Saha O, Hassan MM, Shirin T. Spatial epidemiology and genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses in domestic and wild animals. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260635. [PMID: 34910734 PMCID: PMC8673647 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) showed susceptibility to diverse animal species. We conducted this study to understand the spatial epidemiology, genetic diversity, and statistically significant genetic similarity along with per-gene recombination events of SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses (SC2r-CoVs) in animals globally. We collected a number of different animal species infected with SARS-CoV-2 and its related viruses. Then, we retrieved genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 and SC2r-CoVs from GISAID and NCBI GenBank for genomic and mutational analysis. Although the evolutionary origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains elusive, the diverse SC2r-CoV have been detected in multiple Rhinolophus bat species and in Malayan pangolin. To date, human-to-animal spillover events have been reported in cat, dog, tiger, lion, gorilla, leopard, ferret, puma, cougar, otter, and mink in 25 countries. Phylogeny and genetic recombination events of SC2r-CoVs showed higher similarity to the bat coronavirus RaTG13 and BANAL-103 for most of the genes and to some Malayan pangolin coronavirus (CoV) strains for the N protein from bats and pangolin showed close resemblance to SARS-CoV-2. The clustering of animal and human strains from the same geographical area has proved human-to-animal transmission of the virus. The Alpha, Delta and Mu-variant of SARS-CoV-2 was detected in dog, gorilla, lion, tiger, otter, and cat in the USA, India, Czech Republic, Belgium, and France with momentous genetic similarity with human SARS-CoV-2 sequences. The mink variant mutation (spike_Y453F) was detected in both humans and domestic cats. Moreover, the dog was affected mostly by clade O (66.7%), whereas cat and American mink were affected by clade GR (31.6 and 49.7%, respectively). The α-variant was detected as 2.6% in cat, 4.8% in dog, 14.3% in tiger, 66.7% in gorilla, and 77.3% in lion. The highest mutations observed in mink where the substitution of D614G in spike (95.2%) and P323L in NSP12 (95.2%) protein. In dog, cat, gorilla, lion, and tiger, Y505H and Y453F were the common mutations followed by Y145del, Y144del, and V70I in S protein. We recommend vaccine provision for pet and zoo animals to reduce the chance of transmission in animals. Besides, continuous epidemiological and genomic surveillance of coronaviruses in animal host is crucial to find out the immediate ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 and to prevent future CoVs threats to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariful Islam
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Science, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jinnat Ferdous
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Abu Sayeed
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shariful Islam
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Kaisar Rahman
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Josefina Abedin
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Otun Saha
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York, United States of America
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Mahmudul Hassan
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
| | - Tahmina Shirin
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Berguido FJ, Burbelo PD, Bortolami A, Bonfante F, Wernike K, Hoffmann D, Balkema-Buschmann A, Beer M, Dundon WG, Lamien CE, Cattoli G. Serological Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Naturally-Infected Mink and Other Experimentally-Infected Animals. Viruses 2021; 13:1649. [PMID: 34452513 PMCID: PMC8402807 DOI: 10.3390/v13081649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in humans from a yet unidentified animal reservoir and the capacity of the virus to naturally infect pets, farmed animals and potentially wild animals has highlighted the need for serological surveillance tools. In this study, the luciferase immunoprecipitation systems (LIPS), employing the spike (S) and nucleocapsid proteins (N) of SARS-CoV-2, was used to examine the suitability of the assay for antibody detection in different animal species. Sera from SARS-CoV-2 naturally-infected mink (n = 77), SARS-CoV-2 experimentally-infected ferrets, fruit bats and hamsters and a rabbit vaccinated with a purified spike protein were examined for antibodies using the SARS-CoV-2 N and/or S proteins. From comparison with the known neutralization status of the serum samples, statistical analyses including calculation of the Spearman rank-order-correlation coefficient and Cohen's kappa agreement were used to interpret the antibody results and diagnostic performance. The LIPS immunoassay robustly detected the presence of viral antibodies in naturally infected SARS-CoV-2 mink, experimentally infected ferrets, fruit bats and hamsters as well as in an immunized rabbit. For the SARS-CoV-2-LIPS-S assay, there was a good level of discrimination between the positive and negative samples for each of the five species tested with 100% agreement with the virus neutralization results. In contrast, the SARS-CoV-2-LIPS-N assay did not consistently differentiate between SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative sera. This study demonstrates the suitability of the SARS-CoV-2-LIPS-S assay for the sero-surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a range of animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J. Berguido
- Joint FAO/IAEA Centre for Nuclear Applications in Food and Agriculture, Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria; (W.G.D.); (C.E.L.); (G.C.)
| | - Peter D. Burbelo
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Alessio Bortolami
- Laboratory of Experimental Animal Models, Division of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (A.B.); (F.B.)
| | - Francesco Bonfante
- Laboratory of Experimental Animal Models, Division of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (A.B.); (F.B.)
| | - Kerstin Wernike
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany; (K.W.); (D.H.); (M.B.)
| | - Donata Hoffmann
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany; (K.W.); (D.H.); (M.B.)
| | - Anne Balkema-Buschmann
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany;
| | - Martin Beer
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany; (K.W.); (D.H.); (M.B.)
| | - William G. Dundon
- Joint FAO/IAEA Centre for Nuclear Applications in Food and Agriculture, Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria; (W.G.D.); (C.E.L.); (G.C.)
| | - Charles E. Lamien
- Joint FAO/IAEA Centre for Nuclear Applications in Food and Agriculture, Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria; (W.G.D.); (C.E.L.); (G.C.)
| | - Giovanni Cattoli
- Joint FAO/IAEA Centre for Nuclear Applications in Food and Agriculture, Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna International Centre, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria; (W.G.D.); (C.E.L.); (G.C.)
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7
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Fischhoff IR, Castellanos AA, Rodrigues JP, Varsani A, Han BA. Predicting the zoonotic capacity of mammals to transmit SARS-CoV-2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.02.18.431844. [PMID: 33619481 PMCID: PMC7899445 DOI: 10.1101/2021.02.18.431844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Back and forth transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between humans and animals may lead to wild reservoirs of virus that can endanger efforts toward long-term control of COVID-19 in people, and protecting vulnerable animal populations that are particularly susceptible to lethal disease. Predicting high risk host species is key to targeting field surveillance and lab experiments that validate host zoonotic potential. A major bottleneck to predicting animal hosts is the small number of species with available molecular information about the structure of ACE2, a key cellular receptor required for viral cell entry. We overcome this bottleneck by combining species' ecological and biological traits with 3D modeling of virus and host cell protein interactions using machine learning methods. This approach enables predictions about the zoonotic capacity of SARS-CoV-2 for over 5,000 mammals - an order of magnitude more species than previously possible. The high accuracy predictions achieved by this approach are strongly corroborated by in vivo empirical studies. We identify numerous common mammal species whose predicted zoonotic capacity and close proximity to humans may further enhance the risk of spillover and spillback transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Our results reveal high priority areas of geographic overlap between global COVID-19 hotspots and potential new mammal hosts of SARS-CoV-2. With molecular sequence data available for only a small fraction of potential host species, predictive modeling integrating data across multiple biological scales offers a conceptual advance that may expand our predictive capacity for zoonotic viruses with similarly unknown and potentially broad host ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya R. Fischhoff
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Box AB Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
| | | | - João P.G.L.M. Rodrigues
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Arvind Varsani
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7700, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Barbara A. Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Box AB Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
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Logeot M, Mauroy A, Thiry E, De Regge N, Vervaeke M, Beck O, De Waele V, Van den Berg T. Risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging wild animals in Belgium. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:986-996. [PMID: 33909351 PMCID: PMC8242903 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this review paper is to evaluate the putative susceptibilities of different free-ranging wild animal species in Belgium to SARS-CoV-2 and provide a risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infection in those animals. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, natural SARS-CoV-2 infections have mainly been confirmed in domestic and production animals, and in wild animals kept in captivity, although the numbers remain limited when compared to human cases. Recently, the first SARS-CoV-2 infections in presumably escaped minks found in the wild have been detected, further addressing the much-feared scenario of transmission of the virus to animals living in the wild and its consequences. Considering the most likely origin of the virus being a wild animal and the putative susceptibilities of free-ranging wild animal species to SARS-CoV-2, the risk of infection with possible establishment of the virus in these populations has to be investigated closely. The authors conclude that most attention should be given to surveillance and awareness-raising activities for SARS-CoV-2 infection in wild mustelids, bats, wild canids and felids, particularly these collected in wildlife rescue centres. People involved in frequent and close contact with wild animals should take all necessary precautionary measures to protect wild animals against exposure to the virus. More than one year after the first detection of SARS-CoV-2 in humans, the time has come to increase investments in research and surveillance activities in animals, including in free-ranging wild animals, as part of a One Health control of this pandemic. This study focussing on Belgium could be helpful for other countries with similar animal densities and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam Logeot
- Department of Animal Health and Safety of Animal Products, Directorate General Control Policy, Federal Agency for Safety of the Food Chain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Axel Mauroy
- Staff Direction for Risk Assessment, Directorate General Control Policy, Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Etienne Thiry
- Veterinary Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, FARAH Research Center, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Nick De Regge
- Scientific Direction Viral Diseases in Animals, Sciensano, National Reference Laboratory, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Muriel Vervaeke
- Policy Department-Wildlife disease management, Agency for Nature and Forests, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Beck
- Department Biodiversity, Brussels Environment, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Valérie De Waele
- Department of Environmental and Agricultural Studies, Public Service of Wallonia, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Thierry Van den Berg
- Scientific Director for Animal Infectious Diseases, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
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