Background In December, 2019, a novel zoonotic severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus emerged in China. The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) became pandemic within weeks and the number of human infections and severe cases is increasing. We aimed to investigate the susceptibilty of potential animal hosts and the risk of anthropozoonotic spill-over infections. MethodsWe intranasally inoculated nine fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus), ferrets (Mustela putorius), pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus), and 17 chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) with 10⁵ TCID 50 of a SARS-CoV-2 isolate per animal. Direct contact animals (n=3) were included 24 h after inoculation to test viral transmission. Animals were monitored for clinical signs and for virus shedding by nucleic acid extraction from nasal washes and rectal swabs (ferrets), oral swabs and pooled faeces samples (fruit bats), nasal and rectal swabs (pigs), or oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs (chickens) on days 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 21 after infection by quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). On days 4, 8, and 12, two inoculated animals (or three in the case of chickens) of each species were euthanised, and all remaining animals, including the contacts, were euthanised at day 21. All animals were subjected to autopsy and various tissues were collected for virus detection by RT-qPCR, histopathology immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridisation. Presence of SARS-CoV-2 reactive antibodies was tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay and virus neutralisation test in samples collected before inoculation and at autopsy.Findings Pigs and chickens were not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. All swabs, organ samples, and contact animals were negative for viral RNA, and none of the pigs or chickens seroconverted. Seven (78%) of nine fruit bats had a transient infection, with virus detectable by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridisation in the nasal cavity, associated with rhinitis. Viral RNA was also identified in the trachea, lung, and lung-associated lymphatic tissue in two animals euthanised at day 4. One of three contact bats became infected. More efficient virus replication but no clinical signs were observed in ferrets, with transmission to all three direct contact animals. Mild rhinitis was associated with viral antigen detection in the respiratory and olfactory epithelium. Prominent viral RNA loads of 0-10⁴ viral genome copies per mL were detected in the upper respiratory tract of fruit bats and ferrets, and both species developed SARS-CoV-2-reactive antibodies reaching neutralising titres of up to 1/1024 after 21 days.Interpretation Pigs and chickens could not be infected intranasally by SARS-CoV-2, whereas fruit bats showed characteristics of a reservoir host. Virus replication in ferrets resembled a subclinical human infection with efficient spread. Ferrets might serve as a useful model for further studies-eg, testing vaccines or antivirals.Funding German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Swine influenza A viruses (swIAVs) can play a crucial role in the generation of new human pandemic viruses. In this study, in-depth passive surveillance comprising nearly 2,500 European swine holdings and more than 18,000 individual samples identified a year-round presence of up to four major swIAV lineages on more than 50% of farms surveilled. Phylogenetic analyses show that intensive reassortment with human pandemic A(H1N1)/2009 (H1pdm) virus produced an expanding and novel repertoire of at least 31 distinct swIAV genotypes and 12 distinct hemagglutinin/neuraminidase combinations with largely unknown consequences for virulence and host tropism. Several viral isolates were resistant to the human antiviral MxA protein, a prerequisite for zoonotic transmission and stable introduction into human populations. A pronounced antigenic variation was noted in swIAV, and several H1pdm lineages antigenically distinct from current seasonal human H1pdm co-circulate in swine. Thus, European swine populations represent reservoirs for emerging IAV strains with zoonotic and, possibly, pre-pandemic potential. ll Resource

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has caused a pandemic with millions of infected humans and hundreds of thousands of fatalities. As the novel disease – referred to as COVID‐19 – unfolded, occasional anthropozoonotic infections of animals by owners or caretakers were reported in dogs, felid species and farmed mink. Further species were shown to be susceptible under experimental conditions. The extent of natural infections of animals, however, is still largely unknown. Serological methods will be useful tools for tracing SARS‐CoV‐2 infections in animals once test systems are evaluated for use in different species. Here, we developed an indirect multi‐species ELISA based on the receptor‐binding domain (RBD) of SARS‐CoV‐2. The newly established ELISA was evaluated using 59 sera of infected or vaccinated animals, including ferrets, raccoon dogs, hamsters, rabbits, chickens, cattle and a cat, and a total of 220 antibody‐negative sera of the same animal species. Overall, a diagnostic specificity of 100.0% and sensitivity of 98.31% were achieved, and the functionality with every species included in this study could be demonstrated. Hence, a versatile and reliable ELISA protocol was established that enables high‐throughput antibody detection in a broad range of animal species, which may be used for outbreak investigations, to assess the seroprevalence in susceptible species or to screen for reservoir or intermediate hosts.

Summary In the 5‐yr period 1968–1972, 749 patients with epilepsy were referred from the two far northern counties of Norway, Troms and Finnmark, to the neurological, pediatric, and EEG departments in Tromsø. The prevalence of epilepsy was 3.5/1,000 population, and the average incidence of new cases per year was 32.8/100,000 population, with preponderance in males. Two‐thirds of the patients had their first seizure before 20 yr of age, and in two‐thirds of those over 15, no cause could be determined. RÉsumé Dans les 5 années de 1968 à 1972, 749 patients avec épilepsie ont été recrutés des 2 régions du nord de la Norvège, Troms et Finnmark, dans les départements de neurologie, pédiatrie et d'EEG de Tromsø. La prévalence de L'épilepsie était de 3.5/1,000 et L'incidence moyenne des nouveaux cas par an était de 32.8/100,000 avec une prépondérance dans le sexe masculin. 2/3 des patients avaient eu leur première crise avant 20 ans; parmi les 2/3 de ceux qui avaient plus de 15 ans, aucune cause n'a pu être déterminée. ZUSAMMEnfassung In der 5 Jahresperiode von 1968 bis 1972 wurden 749 Patienten mit Epilepsie von den beiden nördlichen Provinzen Norwegens – Troms und Finnmark – der neurologischen‐, pädiatrischen‐, und EEG‐Abteilung in Tromsøüberwiesen. Die Häufigkeit von Epilepsien betrug 3.5 pro 1,000 Einwohner. Pro Jahr traten durchschnittlich 32.8 pro 100,000 Einwohner Neuerkrankungen auf mit Bevorzugung des männlichen Geschlechts. 2/3 der Patienten erlitten ihren 1. Anfall vor dem 20. Lebensjahr, und davon 2/3 nach dem 15. Lebensjahr eine Ursache dafür konnte nicht gefunden werden. RESUMEN En el periodo de 5 años transcurrido entre 1968 y 1972, 749 enfermos epilépticos fueron referidos de los condados más septentrionales de Noruega, Troms y Finnmark, a los departamentos de Neurología, Pediatría y EEG de Tromsø. La prevalencia de epilepsia fué de 3.5/1,000 habitantes y el promedio de incidencia de casos nuevos anuales de 32.8/100,000 habitantes con un predominio de varones. Dos tercios de los enfermos tuvieron su primer ataque antes de los 20 años de edad, y en dos tercios de entre ellos los ataques occurrieron antes de los 15 años, no se encontró causa alguna.