Lack of detection of SARS-CoV-2 in British wildlife 2020-21 and first description of a stoat ( Mustela erminea ) Minacovirus

Repeat spillover of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into new hosts has highlighted the critical role of cross-species transmission of coronaviruses and establishment of new reservoirs of virus in pandemic and epizootic spread of coronaviruses. Species particularly suscep...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of general virology 2023-12, Vol.104 (12)
Main Authors: Apaa, Ternenge, Withers, Amy J, Mackenzie, Laura, Staley, Ceri, Dessi, Nicola, Blanchard, Adam, Bennett, Malcolm, Bremner-Harrison, Samantha, Chadwick, Elizabeth A, Hailer, Frank, Harrison, Stephen W R, Lambin, Xavier, Loose, Matthew, Mathews, Fiona, Tarlinton, Rachael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alphacoronavirus
Animal
Animals
Animals, Wild
Arvicolinae
Cats
COVID-19 - veterinary
Deer
Ferrets
Humans
Mice
Mink
Otters
SARS-CoV-2 - genetics
Viruses
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Repeat spillover of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into new hosts has highlighted the critical role of cross-species transmission of coronaviruses and establishment of new reservoirs of virus in pandemic and epizootic spread of coronaviruses. Species particularly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 spillover include Mustelidae (mink, ferrets and related animals), cricetid rodents (hamsters and related animals), felids (domestic cats and related animals) and white-tailed deer. These predispositions led us to screen British wildlife with sarbecovirus-specific quantitative PCR and pan coronavirus PCR assays for SARS-CoV-2 using samples collected during the human pandemic to establish if widespread spillover was occurring. Fourteen wildlife species ( =402) were tested, including: two red foxes ( ), 101 badgers ( ), two wild American mink ( ), 41 pine marten ( ), two weasels ( ), seven stoats ( ), 108 water voles ( ), 39 bank voles ( ), 10 field voles ( ), 15 wood mice ( ), one common shrew ( ), two pygmy shrews ( ), two hedgehogs ( ) and 75 Eurasian otters ( ). No cases of SARS-CoV-2 were detected in any animals, but a novel minacovirus related to mink and ferret alphacoronaviruses was detected in stoats recently introduced to the Orkney Islands. This group of viruses is of interest due to pathogenicity in ferrets. The impact of this virus on the health of stoat populations remains to be established.
ISSN:0022-1317
1465-2099
DOI:10.1099/jgv.0.001917