Widespread exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife communities

Goldberg, Amanda R.; Langwig, Kate E.; Marano, Jeffrey; Sharp, Amanda K.; Brown, Katherine L.; Ceci, Alessandro; Kailing, Macy J.; Briggs, Russell; Roby, Clinton D.; Weger-Lucarelli, James; Finkielstein, Carla V.; Hoyt, Joseph R.

doi:10.1101/2022.11.04.515237

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 84 publications

(142 reference statements)

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“…Other wildlife or domestic species susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection may have contact with and facilitate transmission to WTD. Recent work in Virginia, USA, has identi ed high seroprevalence in species with shared human habitats including raccoons, squirrels, skunks, and white-footed and deer mice, in addition to viral shedding in a opossum 37 . These species could plausibly interface with humans and WTD.…”

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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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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“…Metatherian mammals, also known as marsupials, are an ancient group, and most marsupials are found in Australasia (around 200 species) and Central and South America (around 70 species). A study conducted by Goldberg et al found 8% of wild life Virginia opossum having detectable serum antibody against SARS-CoV-2 (37).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomical and ontological analysis of verified natural and laboratory human coronavirus hosts

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2023

Preprint

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To fully understand COVID-19, it is critical to identify and analyze all the possible hosts of SARS-CoV-2 (the pathogen of COVID-19) and compare them with the hosts of other human coronaviruses. In this study, we collected, annotated, and performed taxonomical and ontological analysis of all the reported and verified hosts for all human coronaviruses including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and four others that cause the common cold. A total of 37 natural hosts and 19 laboratory animal hosts of host human coronaviruses were identified based on experimental or clinical evidence. Our taxonomical ontology-based analysis found that all the verified susceptible natural and laboratory animals belong to therian mammals. Specifically, these 37 natural therian hosts include one wildlife marsupial mammal (i.e., Didelphis virginiana) and 36 Eutheria mammals (a.k.a. placental mammals). The 19 laboratory animal hosts are also classified as placental mammals. While several non-therian animals (including snake, housefly, zebrafish) were reported to be likely SARS-CoV-2 hosts, our analysis excluded them due to the lack of convincing evidence. Genetically modified mouse models with human Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) protein were more susceptible to virulent human coronaviruses with clear symptoms. Coronaviruses often became more virulent and adaptive in the mouse hosts after a series of viral passages in the mice. To support knowledge standardization and analysis, we have also represented the annotated host knowledge in the Coronavirus Infectious Disease Ontology (CIDO) and provided ways to automatically query the knowledge.

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“…From a study performed in Eastern USA, 18 different wildlife species were sampled, with SARS‐CoV‐2 detected by PCR in the Virginia opossum ( Didelphis virginiana ) and equivocal detections in additional species red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ), white‐tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) Eastern grey squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis ), Eastern cottontail rabbit ( Sylvilagus floridanus ) and bobcat ( Lynx rufus ). Species considered human commensals like squirrels and raccoons had seroprevalence ranging between 62 and71%, and sites with high human use had three times higher seroprevalence than low human‐use areas (Goldberg et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS‐CoV‐2 in animals: susceptibility of animal species, risk for animal and public health, monitoring, prevention and control

Nielsen¹,

Álvarez²,

Bicout³

et al. 2023

EFS2

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The epidemiological situation of SARS‐CoV‐2 in humans and animals is continually evolving. To date, animal species known to transmit SARS‐CoV‐2 are American mink, raccoon dog, cat, ferret, hamster, house mouse, Egyptian fruit bat, deer mouse and white‐tailed deer. Among farmed animals, American mink have the highest likelihood to become infected from humans or animals and further transmit SARS‐CoV‐2. In the EU, 44 outbreaks were reported in 2021 in mink farms in seven MSs, while only six in 2022 in two MSs, thus representing a decreasing trend. The introduction of SARS‐CoV‐2 into mink farms is usually via infected humans; this can be controlled by systematically testing people entering farms and adequate biosecurity. The current most appropriate monitoring approach for mink is the outbreak confirmation based on suspicion, testing dead or clinically sick animals in case of increased mortality or positive farm personnel and the genomic surveillance of virus variants. The genomic analysis of SARS‐CoV‐2 showed mink‐specific clusters with a potential to spill back into the human population. Among companion animals, cats, ferrets and hamsters are those at highest risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, which most likely originates from an infected human, and which has no or very low impact on virus circulation in the human population. Among wild animals (including zoo animals), mostly carnivores, great apes and white‐tailed deer have been reported to be naturally infected by SARS‐CoV‐2. In the EU, no cases of infected wildlife have been reported so far. Proper disposal of human waste is advised to reduce the risks of spill‐over of SARS‐CoV‐2 to wildlife. Furthermore, contact with wildlife, especially if sick or dead, should be minimised. No specific monitoring for wildlife is recommended apart from testing hunter‐harvested animals with clinical signs or found‐dead. Bats should be monitored as a natural host of many coronaviruses.

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Widespread exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife communities

Cited by 16 publications

References 84 publications

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

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

Taxonomical and ontological analysis of verified natural and laboratory human coronavirus hosts

SARS‐CoV‐2 in animals: susceptibility of animal species, risk for animal and public health, monitoring, prevention and control

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