Canine Parvovirus Infections in Taiwanese Pangolins (Manis pentadactyla pentadactyla)

Identification of Corynebacterium ulcerans and Erysipelothrix sp. in Malayan pangolins-a potential threat to public health?

The discovery of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2-like and Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-like viruses in Malayan pangolins has raised concerns about their potential role in the spread of zoonotic diseases. Herein, we describe the isolation and whole-genome sequencing of potentially zoonotic two bacterial pathogens from diseased Malaysian pangolins (Manis javanica)-Corynebacterium ulcerans and Erysipelothrix sp. The newly identified species were designated as C. ulcerans P69 and Erysipelothrix sp. P66. C. ulcerans P69 exhibited 99.2% whole-genome nucleotide identity to human bacterial isolate 4940, suggesting that it might have zoonotic potential. Notably, C. ulcerans P69 lacked the diphtheria toxin (tox) gene that is widely used in vaccines to protect humans from corynebacterial infection, which suggests that the current vaccine may be of limited efficacy against this pangolin strain. C. ulcerans P69 also contains other known virulence-associated genes such as pld and exhibits resistance to several antibiotics (erythromycin, clindamycin, penicillin G, gentamicin, tetracycline), which may affect its effective control. Erysipelothrix sp. P66 was closely related to Erysipelothrix sp. strain 2-related strains, exhibiting 98.8% whole-genome nucleotide identity. This bacterium is lethal in mice, and two commercial vaccines failed to protect its challenge, such that it could potentially pose a threat to the swine industry. Overall, this study highlights that, in addition to viruses, pangolins harbor bacteria that may pose a potential threat to humans and domestic animals, and which merit attention.

IMPORTANCE

This study firstly reports the presence of two potentially zoonotic bacteria, Corynebacterium ulcerans and Erysipelothrix sp., in diseased Malaysian pangolins collected in 2019. The pangolin C. ulcerans is lethal in mice and resists many antibiotics. It clustered with a lethal human strain but lacked the diphtheria toxin gene. Diphtheria toxin is widely used as a vaccine around the world to protect humans from the infection of corynebacteria. The lack of the tox gene suggests that the current vaccine may be of limited efficacy against this pangolin strain. The pangolin Erysipelothrix sp. is the sister clade of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. It is lethal in mice, and two commercial vaccines failed to protect the mice against challenge with the pangolin Erysipelothrix sp., such that this strain could potentially pose a threat to the swine industry. These findings emphasize the potential threat of pangolin bacteria.

Global distribution, cross-species transmission, and receptor binding of canine parvovirus-2: Risks and implications for humans

For canine parvovirus -2 (CPV-2), a zoonotic virus capable of cross-species transmission in animals, the amino acid changes of capsid protein VP2 are key factors when binding to other species' transferrin receptors (TfR). CPV-2 variants can spread from felines and canines, for example, to Carnivora, Artiodactyla, and Pholidota species, and CPV-2c variants are essential to spread from Carnivora to Artiodactyla and Pholidota species in particular. In our study, a CPV-2a variant maintained a relatively stable trend, and the proportion of CPV-2c gradually rose from 1980 to 2021. The VP2 amino acid sequence analysis showed that five amino acid mutations at 426E/D, 305H/D, and 297S may be necessary for the virus to bind to different host receptors. Meanwhile, receptor-binding loop regions and amino acid sites 87 L, 93 N, 232I, and 305Y were associated with CPV-2 cross-species transmission. The homology of TfRs in different hosts infected with CPV-2 ranged from 77.2 % to 99.0 %, and from pig to feline, canine, and humans was 80.7 %, 80.4 %, and 77.2 %, respectively. The amino acid residues of TfRs involved in the viral binding in those hosts are highly conserved, which suggests that CPV-2 may be capable of pig-to-human transmission. Our analysis of the origin, evolutionary trend, cross-species transmission dynamics, and genetic characteristics of CPV-2 when binding to host receptors provides a theoretical basis for further research on CPV-2's mechanism of cross-species transmission and for establishing an early warning and monitoring mechanism for the possible threat of CPV-2 to animal-human public security.

For better or worse: crosstalk of parvovirus and host DNA damage response

Parvoviruses are a group of non-enveloped DNA viruses that have a broad spectrum of natural infections, making them important in public health. NS1 is the largest and most complex non-structural protein in the parvovirus genome, which is indispensable in the life cycle of parvovirus and is closely related to viral replication, induction of host cell apoptosis, cycle arrest, DNA damage response (DDR), and other processes. Parvovirus activates and utilizes the DDR pathway to promote viral replication through NS1, thereby increasing pathogenicity to the host cells. Here, we review the latest progress of parvovirus in regulating host cell DDR during the parvovirus lifecycle and discuss the potential of cellular consequences of regulating the DDR pathway, targeting to provide the theoretical basis for further elucidation of the pathogenesis of parvovirus and development of new antiviral drugs.

Infantile hemangioma in a subadult Chinese pangolin: a case report

BACKGROUND

Hemangiomas are a relatively common type of tumor in humans and animals. Various subtypes of hemangiomas have been described in the literature. The classification methods for hemangiomas differ between human and veterinary medicine, and the basis for tumor classification can be found in the literature.

CASE PRESENTATION

This study describes a tumor in the subcutaneous tissue of the right dorsum of an artificially rescued juvenile Chinese pangolin. Computed tomography (CT) examination yielded the preliminary diagnosis of a vascular malformation, and surgery was performed to resect the tumor. Histopathological examination showed that the tumor mainly was consisted of adipose tissue, capillaries, and spindle cells in the fibrous stroma. Immunohistochemistry showed the positive expression of CD31, CD34, α-SMA, GLUT1 and WT-1 in the tumor tissue, and the tumor was eventually diagnosed as an infantile haemangioma.

CONCLUSION

The final diagnosis of infantile hemangioma was depended on the histopathological immunohistochemical and CT examination of the neoplastic tissue. This is the first report of infantile hemangioma in a critically endangered species Chinese pangolin.

First case report of pustules associated with Escherichia fergusonii in the chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla aurita)

BACKGROUND

Escherichia fergusonii is a common conditionally pathogenic bacterium that infects humans and animals. E. fergusonii has been reported to cause diarrhea, respiratory disease, and septicemia, but it is rarely reported to cause skin infections in animals. E. fergusonii has been isolated from the skin and muscular tissue of Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla aurita). To date, there have been no reports of Chinese pangolins with clinical signs of skin diseases.

CASE PRESENTATION

This case report describes the clinical case of a subadult (bodyweight: 1.1 kg) female Chinese pangolin from wild rescue with pustules and subcutaneous suppurative infection due to E. fergusonii in the abdominal skin. Bacterial culture, Biochemical analysis, PCR and histopathology were utilized to identify the bacteria in the pustule puncture fluid and infected tissue. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of E. fergusonii-related pustules on a Chinese pangolin.

CONCLUSION

This case report presents the first observed skin infection in a Chinese pangolin. E. fergusonii infection should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis of pustules and subcutaneous suppurative skin conditions in Chinese pangolins, and we also provide several recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Detection of a novel Pestivirus strain in Java ticks (Amblyomma javanense) and the hosts Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) and Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla)

Pangolins are endangered animals and are listed in the CITES Appendix I of the Convention International Trade Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as well as being the national first-level protected wild animal in China. Based on a few reports on pangolins infected with pestiviruses of the Flaviviridae family, Pestivirus infections in pangolins have attracted increasing attention. Pangolin pestivirus is a pathogen that may cause diseases such as acute diarrhea and acute hemorrhagic syndrome. To better understand the epidemiology and genomic characterization of pestiviruses carried by pangolins, we detected pestiviruses in dead Malayan pangolin using metavirome sequencing technology and obtained a Pestivirus sequence of 12,333 nucleotides (named Guangdong pangolin Pestivirus, GDPV). Phylogenetic tree analysis based on the entire coding sequence, NS3 gene or RdRp gene sequences, showed that GDPV was closely related to previously reported pangolin-derived Pestivirus and clustered into a separate branch. Molecular epidemiological investigation revealed that 15 Pestivirus-positive tissues from two pangolins individuals with a positivity rate of 5.56%, and six Amblyomma javanense carried pestiviruses with a positivity rate of 19.35%. Moreover, the RdRp gene of the Pestivirus carried by A. javanense showed a high similarity to that carried by pangolins (93–100%), indicating A. javanense is likely to represent the vector of Pestivirus transmission. This study expands the diversity of viruses carried by pangolins and provides an important reference value for interrupting the transmission route of the virus and protecting the health of pangolins.

Spillover of Canine Parvovirus Type 2 to Pigs, South Dakota, USA, 2020

In 1978, canine parvovirus type 2 originated from spillover of a feline panleukopenia–like virus, causing a worldwide pandemic of enteritis and myocarditis among canids. In 2020, the virus was identified in pigs in South Dakota, USA, by PCR, sequencing, in situ hybridization, and serology. Genetic analysis suggests spillover from wildlife.

Small but mighty: old and new parvoviruses of veterinary significance

In line with the Latin expression "sed parva forti" meaning "small but mighty," the family Parvoviridae contains many of the smallest known viruses, some of which result in fatal or debilitating infections. In recent years, advances in metagenomic viral discovery techniques have dramatically increased the identification of novel parvoviruses in both diseased and healthy individuals. While some of these discoveries have solved etiologic mysteries of well-described diseases in animals, many of the newly discovered parvoviruses appear to cause mild or no disease, or disease associations remain to be established. With the increased use of animal parvoviruses as vectors for gene therapy and oncolytic treatments in humans, it becomes all the more important to understand the diversity, pathogenic potential, and evolution of this diverse family of viruses. In this review, we discuss parvoviruses infecting vertebrate animals, with a special focus on pathogens of veterinary significance and viruses discovered within the last four years.

A Three-Year Biocrime Sanitary Surveillance on Illegally Imported Companion Animals

The illegal trade of companion animals in the European Union poses several legal, ethical and health issues to the entire community. In the framework of the Biocrime Interreg project between Italy and Austria, we surveyed puppies and kittens confiscated at the borders to identify the most frequent pathogens associated with (i) the risk of spread within the shelter, (ii) the development of fatal disease and (iii) the zoonotic potential. From January 2018 to December 2020, we examined a total of 613 puppies and 62 kittens coming from 44 requisitions. Feces, skin specimens and blood sera from confiscated animals were tested to verify the presence of major infections and to assess the rabies post-vaccination immunity. Out of the total of individuals under investigation, necropsies and laboratory investigations were also performed on 79 puppies and three kittens that had died during the observation period. Results indicated a high prevalence of Canine Parvovirus (CPV) and Giardia spp. infections, CPV as the most likely cause of fatal gastroenteritis in puppies and Salmonella and Microsporum canis as major zoonotic pathogens. Conversely, both extended spectrum beta lactamases Escherichia coli and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius strains as rare findings. Results highlighted that illegal animal trade could expose the human population to potential zoonotic risk and naïve animal population to potentially disrupting epidemic waves, both of these issues being largely underestimated when buying companion animals.