From Deer-to-Deer: SARS-CoV-2 is efficiently transmitted and presents broad tissue tropism and replication sites in white-tailed deer

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) in humans, has a broad host range, and is able to infect domestic and wild animal species. Notably, white-tailed deer (WTD, Odocoileus virginianus ) the most widely distributed cervid species in the Americas was shown to be highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 with reported natural infection rates approaching 40% in wild WTD populations in the U.S. Thus, understanding the infection and transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in WTD is critical to prevent future zoonotic transmission to humans and for implementation of effective disease control measures. Here, we demonstrated that following intranasal inoculation with SARS-CoV-2, deer fawns shed infectious virus up to day 5 post-inoculation (pi), with high viral loads shed in nasal and oral secretions. This resulted in efficient deer-to-deer transmission on day 3 pi. Consistent with lack of infectious SARS-CoV-2 shedding after day 5 pi, no transmission was observed to contact animals added on days 6 and 9 pi. We have also investigated the tropism and sites of SARS-CoV-2 replication in WTD. Active virus replication was observed in respiratory-, lymphoid-, and central nervous system tissues, indicating broad tissue tropism and multiple target sites of virus replication during acute infection. The study provides important insights on the infection and transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in WTD, a wild animal species that is highly susceptible to infection and with the potential to become a reservoir for the virus in the field.

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DETECTION OF XENOBIOTIC SUBSTANCES IN MUTE SWANS’ (CYGNUS OLOR) BLOOD

Proceedings of the 7th International Scientific Conference Rural Development 2015 ◽

10.15544/rd.2015.064 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Jolanta STANKEVIČIŪTĖ ◽

Solveiga Marija BARKAUSKAITĖ ◽

Gediminas BRAZAITIS

Keyword(s):

Animal Species ◽

Wild Animal ◽

Wild Populations ◽

New Methods ◽

Negative Results ◽

Cygnus Olor ◽

Ecological Scale ◽

Literature Reviews ◽

Baseline Information ◽

Mute Swans

During recent years the attention towards the effects of xenobiotic substances on wild nature has been steadily increasing. Literature reviews have revealed that active hormone-disintegrating substances might affect the reproduction of some wild animal species. Research shows anomalies of reproduction and development in various animal groups such as birds, fish, invertebrates and reptiles. Species inhabiting water and its surroundings cause the highest concern. Due to insufficient baseline information it is difficult to determine the extent of the problem in these wild populations on an ecological scale. The research described in this article is the first attempt to analyse xenobiotic substances and evaluate possible accumulation of pharmaceuticals in animals higher up in the food chain in Lithuania. This research tests new methods for to analyse for xenobiotics substances, which might be used in the future. Blood samples of 7 swans were examined using liquid chromatography, however, no xenobiotics were detected. Negative results do not eliminate the necessity for further investigate of larger samples, other species or to search for non-pharmaceutical xenobiotics.

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Not Only a Formulation: The Effects of Pickering Emulsion on the Entomopathogenic Action of Metarhizium brunneum

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof7070499 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (7) ◽

pp. 499

Author(s):

Nitsan Birnbaum ◽

Victoria Reingold ◽

Sabina Matveev ◽

Chandrasekhar Kottakota ◽

Michael Davidovitz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ricinus Communis ◽

Larval Mortality ◽

Acute Infection ◽

Larval Growth ◽

Disease Process ◽

Pickering Emulsion ◽

Broad Host Range ◽

High Humidity ◽

Conventional Agriculture ◽

Metarhizium Brunneum

Growing global population and environmental concerns necessitate the transition from chemical to eco-friendly pest management. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are rising candidates for this task due to their ease of growing, broad host range and unique disease process, allowing EPF to infect hosts directly through its cuticle. However, EPF’s requirement for high humidity negates their integration into conventional agriculture. To mitigate this problem, we formulated Metarhizium brunneum conidia in an oil-in-water Pickering emulsion. Conidia in aqueous and emulsion formulations were sprayed on Ricinus communis leaves, and Spodoptera littoralis larvae were introduced under low or high humidity. The following were examined: conidial dispersion on leaf, larval mortality, conidial acquisition by larvae, effects on larval growth and feeding, and dynamic of disease progression. Emulsion was found to disperse conidia more efficiently and caused two-fold more adhesion of conidia to host cuticle. Mortality from conidia in emulsion was significantly higher than other treatments reaching 86.5% under high humidity. Emulsion was also found to significantly reduce larval growth and feeding, while conferring faster fungal growth in-host. Results suggest that a Pickering emulsion is able to improve physical interactions between the conidia and their surroundings, while weakening the host through a plethora of mechanisms, increasing the chance of an acute infection.

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Parameter-dependent transmission dynamics and optimal control of foot and mouth disease in a contaminated environment

Journal of the Egyptian Mathematical Society ◽

10.1186/s42787-019-0058-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Francis Mugabi ◽

Joseph Mugisha ◽

Betty Nannyonga ◽

Henry Kasumba ◽

Margaret Tusiime

Keyword(s):

Optimal Control ◽

Deterministic Model ◽

Foot And Mouth Disease ◽

Decay Rates ◽

Mouth Disease ◽

Control Measures ◽

Transmission Dynamics ◽

Optimality System ◽

Foot And Mouth ◽

Environmental Decontamination

AbstractThe problem of foot and mouth disease (FMD) is of serious concern to the livestock sector in most nations, especially in developing countries. This paper presents the formulation and analysis of a deterministic model for the transmission dynamics of FMD through a contaminated environment. It is shown that the key parameters that drive the transmission of FMD in a contaminated environment are the shedding, transmission, and decay rates of the virus. Using numerical results, it is depicted that the host-to-host route is more severe than the environmental-to-host route. The model is then transformed into an optimal control problem. Using the Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle, the optimality system is determined. Utilizing a gradient type algorithm with projection, the optimality system is solved for three control strategies: optimal use of vaccination, environmental decontamination, and a combination of vaccination and environmental decontamination. Results show that a combination of vaccination and environmental decontamination is the most optimal strategy. These results indicate that if vaccination and environmental decontamination are used optimally during an outbreak, then FMD transmission can be controlled. Future studies focusing on the control measures for the transmission of FMD in a contaminated environment should aim at reducing the transmission and the shedding rates, while increasing the decay rate.

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Occurrence, antimicrobial susceptibility patterns and genotypic relatedness of Salmonella spp. isolates from captive wildlife, their caretakers, feed and water in India

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268818001553 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 146 (12) ◽

pp. 1543-1549

Author(s):

Arockiasamy Arun Prince Milton ◽

Rajesh Kumar Agarwal ◽

Govindarajan Bhuvana Priya ◽

Cheruplackal Karunakaran Athira ◽

Mani Saminathan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽

Animal Species ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Wild Animal ◽

Diffusion Method ◽

Pcr Assay ◽

Direct Pcr ◽

Salmonella Spp ◽

Culture Methods ◽

Faecal Samples

AbstractOccurrence of Salmonella spp. in captive wild animal species in India is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the occurrence of different Salmonella serotypes, antimicrobial resistance patterns and genotypic relatedness of recovered isolates. A total of 370 samples including faecal (n = 314), feed and water (n = 26) and caretakers stool swabs (n = 30) were collected from 40 different wild animal species in captivity, their caretakers, feed and water in four zoological gardens and wildlife enclosures in India. Salmonellae were isolated using conventional culture methods and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility with the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Salmonella isolates were serotyped and genotyping was performed using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) PCR and 16S rRNA sequencing. Animal faecal samples were also subjected to direct PCR assay. Salmonella was detected in 10 of 314 (3.1%) faecal samples by isolation and 18 of 314 (5.7%) samples by direct PCR assay; one of 26 (3.8%) feed and water samples and five of 30 (16.7%) caretakers stool swabs by isolation. Salmonella was more commonly isolated in faecal samples from golden pheasants (25%; 2/8) and leopard (10%; 2/20). Salmonella enterica serotypes of known public health significance including S. Typhimurium (37.5%; 6/14), S. Kentucky (28.5%; 4/14) and S. Enteritidis (14.3%; 2/14) were identified. While the majority of the Salmonella isolates were pan-susceptible to the commonly used antibiotics. Seven (43.7%; 7/16) of the isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic and one isolate each among them exhibited penta and tetra multidrug-resistant types. Three S. Kentucky serotype were identified in a same golden pheasants cage, two from the birds and one from the feed. This serotype was also isolated from its caretaker. Similarly, one isolate each of S. Typhimurium were recovered from ostrich and its caretaker. These isolates were found to be clonally related suggesting that wildlife may serve as reservoir for infections to humans and vice versa. These results emphasise the transmission of Salmonella among hosts via environmental contamination of feces to workers, visitors and other wildlife.

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Relevance of animal infections in SARS-Cov-2 spread: an update after 1 year of pandemic.

10.22541/au.161900697.76075825/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Frazzini Sara ◽

Amadori Massimo ◽

Lauretta Turin ◽

Federica Riva

Keyword(s):

Animal Species ◽

Natural Infection ◽

Farm Animals ◽

World Health ◽

Chinese City ◽

Experimental Infections ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization ◽

Therapy Studies

In December 2019, several cases of pneumonia caused by a novel Coronavirus, later identified as SARS-CoV-2, were detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Due to its rapid, worldwide spread, on 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization declared a pandemic state. Since this new virus is genetically similar to the coronaviruses of bats, it was thought to have a zoonotic origin. Within a year of the appearance of SARS-CoV-2, several cases of infection were also reported in animals, suggesting animal-to-human and animal-to-animal transmission within mammals. Natural infection has been found in both companion and captive animals such as lions, tigers and gorillas. Among farm animals, the only ones found to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection so far are minks. Experimental infections have documented the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 of several animal species, such as humanized mice, hamsters, cats, dogs, ferrets, racoon dogs, cattle and non-human primates. Experimental infections are crucial for both elucidation of the role of animals in transmission and development of appropriate animal models for pathogenesis and therapy studies. This review aims to update the knowledge on natural and experimental SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals.

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A Single Mutation at Position 156 in the Envelope Protein of Tembusu Virus Is Responsible for Virus Tissue Tropism and Transmissibility in Ducks

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.00427-18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 92 (17) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Dawei Yan ◽

Ying Shi ◽

Haiwang Wang ◽

Guoxin Li ◽

Xuesong Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Virus Replication ◽

Envelope Protein ◽

Tissue Tropism ◽

Single Mutation ◽

Mosquito Vectors ◽

E Protein ◽

Virus West Nile ◽

Tembusu Virus ◽

Domain I

ABSTRACT Duck Tembusu virus (TMUV), like other mosquito-borne flaviviruses, such as Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, and Bagaza virus, is able to transmit vector-independently. To date, why these flaviviruses can be transmitted without mosquito vectors remains poorly understood. To explore the key molecular basis of flavivirus transmissibility, we compared virus replication and transmissibility of an early and a recent TMUV in ducks. The recent TMUV strain FX2010 replicated systemically and transmitted efficiently in ducks, while the replication of early strain MM1775 was limited and did not transmit among ducks. The TMUV envelope protein and its domain I were responsible for tissue tropism and transmissibility. The mutation S156P in the domain I resulted in disruption of N-linked glycosylation at amino acid 154 of the E protein and changed the conformation of “150 loop” of the E protein, which reduced virus replication in lungs and abrogated transmission in ducks. These data indicate that the 156S in the envelope protein is critical for TMUV tissue tropism and transmissibility in ducks in the absence of mosquitos. Our findings provide novel insights on understanding TMUV transmission among ducks. IMPORTANCE Tembusu virus, similar to other mosquito-borne flaviviruses such as WNV, JEV, and BAGV, can be transmitted without the presence of mosquito vectors. We demonstrate that the envelope protein of TMUV and its amino acid (S) at position 156 is responsible for tissue tropism and transmission in ducks. The mutation S156P results in disruption of N-linked glycosylation at amino acid 154 of the E protein and changes the conformation of “150 loop” of the E protein, which induces limited virus replication in lungs and abrogates transmission between ducks. Our findings provide new knowledge about TMUV transmission among ducks.

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