Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in urban stormwater: An environmental reservoir and potential interface between human and animal sources

Bernard, Kay; Davis, Angela; Simpson, Ian M.; Hale, Vanessa L.; Lee, Ji-Young; Winston, Ryan J.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151046

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Viable SARS-CoV-2 is shed in human stool. SARS-CoV-2 RNA and has also been detected in wastewater 31,32 and urban runoff 33 , although the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 from these sources is undetermined. The recent detection of genetically distinct SARS-CoV-2 virus fragments in New York City wastewater introduces an intriguing hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 could be transmitting cryptically in rodents 34 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging white-tailed deer

Hale

Dennis

McBride

et al. 2021

Nature

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332

358

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Humans have infected a wide range of animals with SARS-CoV-2 1-5 , but the establishment of a new natural animal reservoir has not been observed. Here we document that free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are highly susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, are exposed to multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants from humans and are capable of sustaining transmission in nature. Using real-time PCR with reverse transcription, we detected SARS-CoV-2 in more than one-third (129 out of 360, 35.8%) of nasal swabs obtained from O. virginianus in northeast Ohio in the USA during January to March 2021. Deer in six locations were infected with three SARS-CoV-2 lineages (B. 1.2, B.1.582 and B.1.596). The B.1.2 viruses, dominant in humans in Ohio at the time, infected deer in four locations. We detected probable deer-to-deer transmission of B.1.2, B.1.582 and B.1.596 viruses, enabling the virus to acquire amino acid substitutions in the spike protein (including the receptor-binding domain) and ORF1 that are observed infrequently in humans. No spillback to humans was observed, but these findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 viruses have been transmitted in wildlife in the USA, potentially opening new pathways for evolution. There is an urgent need to establish comprehensive 'One Health' programmes to monitor the environment, deer and other wildlife hosts globally.As of 9 November 2021, SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has caused more than 5 million deaths globally 6 . The zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2 are not fully resolved 7 , exposing large gaps in our knowledge of susceptible host species and potential new reservoirs. Natural infections of SARS-CoV-2 linked to human exposure have been reported in domestic animals such as cats, dogs and ferrets, and in wildlife under human care, including several species of big cats, Asian small-clawed otters, western lowland gorillas and mink 1 . Detection of SARS-CoV-2 by PCR in free-ranging wildlife has been limited to small numbers of mink in Spain and in Utah in the USA, which were thought to have escaped from nearby farms 8,9 . An in silico study modelling SARS-CoV-2 binding sites on the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor across host species predicted that cetaceans, rodents, primates and several species of deer are at high risk of infection 10 . Experimental infections have identified additional animal species susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, including hamsters, North American raccoons, striped skunks, white-tailed deer, raccoon dogs, fruit bats, deer mice, domestic European rabbits, bushy-tailed woodrats, tree shrews and multiple non-human primate species [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] . Moreover, several species are capable of intraspecies SARS-CoV-2 transmission [13][14][15]17,[21][22][23] , including cats, ferrets, fruit bats, hamsters, raccoon dogs, deer mice and white-tailed deer. Vertical transmission has also been documented in experimentally infected white-tailed deer 23 . In July 2021, antibodies for SARS-CoV...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging white-tailed deer

Hale

Dennis

McBride

et al. 2021

Nature

Self Cite

332

358

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“…We cannot exclude the possibility that all detected introductions are due to direct human contact, although it seems unlikely. Indirect environmental transmission through wastewater and stormwater 35,36 is possible, but the virus has never been successfully isolated from wastewater, let alone run-off. The scope of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor and outdoor environments has been a source of lively discussion since the onset of the pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accelerated evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer

McBride

Garushyants

Franks

et al. 2023

Preprint

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While SARS-CoV-2 has sporadically infected a wide range of animal species worldwide1, the virus has been repeatedly and frequently detected in white-tailed deer in North America2–7. The zoonotic origins of this pandemic virus highlight the need to fill the vast gaps in our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 ecology and evolution in non-human hosts. Here, we detected SARS-CoV-2 was introduced from humans into white-tailed deer more than 30 times in Ohio, USA during November 2021-March 2022. Subsequently, deer-to-deer transmission persisted for 2-8 months, which disseminated across hundreds of kilometers. We discovered that alpha and delta variants evolved in white-tailed deer at three-times the rate observed in humans. Newly developed Bayesian phylogenetic methods quantified how SARS-CoV-2 evolution is not only faster in white-tailed deer but driven by different mutational biases and selection pressures. White-tailed deer are not just short-term recipients of human viral diversity but serve as reservoirs for alpha and other variants to evolve in new directions after going extinct in humans. The long-term effect of this accelerated evolutionary rate remains to be seen as no critical phenotypic changes were observed in our animal model experiments using viruses isolated from white-tailed deer. Still, SARS-CoV-2 viruses have transmitted in white-tailed deer populations for a relatively short duration, and the risk of future changes may have serious consequences for humans and livestock.

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“…Excrements of patients (both human and animal) left in nature may result in transmission to animals and indeed aquatic organisms via contaminated flows of water, especially freshwater organisms [ 24 , 25 ]. In this way, infected animals can reduce safe drinkable freshwater resources and increase the risk of infection in the wild; this goes also for dead animals and carcasses left in nature [ 26–28 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consideration of COVID-19 beyond the human-centred approach of prevention and control: the ONE-HEALTH perspective

Bergquist

Grant

et al. 2022

Emerging Microbes & Infections

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Most of the new emerging and re-emerging zoonotic virus outbreaks in recent years stem from close interaction with dead or alive infected animals. Since late 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread into 221 countries and territories resulting in close to 300 million known infections and 5.4 million deaths in addition to a huge impact on both public health and the world economy. This paper reviews the COVID-19 prevalence in animals, raise concerns about animal welfare and discusses the role of environment in the transmission of COVID-19. Attention is drawn to the One Health concept as it emphasizes the environment in connection with the risk of transmission and establishment of diseases shared between animals and humans. Considering the importance of One Health for an effective response to the dissemination of infections of pandemic character, some unsettled issues with respect to COVID-19 are highlighted.

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Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in urban stormwater: An environmental reservoir and potential interface between human and animal sources

Cited by 14 publications

References 56 publications

SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging white-tailed deer

SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging white-tailed deer

Accelerated evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer

Consideration of COVID-19 beyond the human-centred approach of prevention and control: the ONE-HEALTH perspective

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