Transmission dynamics and susceptibility patterns of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic, farmed and wild animals: Sustainable One Health surveillance for conservation and public health to prevent future epidemics and pandemics

Abstract

The exact origin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and source of introduction into humans has not been established yet, though it might be originated from animals. Therefore, we conducted a study to understand the putative reservoirs, transmission dynamics, and susceptibility patterns of SARS-CoV-2 in animals. Rhinolophus bats are presumed to be natural progenitors of SARS-CoV-2-related viruses. Initially, pangolin was thought to be the source of spillover to humans, but they might be infected by human or other animal species. So, the virus spillover pathways to humans remain unknown. Human-to-animal transmission has been testified in pet, farmed, zoo and free-ranging wild animals. Infected animals can transmit the virus to other animals in natural settings like mink-to-mink and mink-to-cat transmission. Animal-to-human transmission is not a persistent pathway, while mink-to-human transmission continues to be illuminated. Multiple companions and captive wild animals were infected by an emerging alpha variant of concern (B.1.1.7 lineage) whereas Asiatic lions were infected by delta variant, (B.1.617.2). To date, multiple animal species - cat, ferrets, non-human primates, hamsters and bats - showed high susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 in the experimental condition, while swine, poultry, cattle showed no susceptibility. The founding of SARS-CoV-2 in wild animal reservoirs can confront the control of the virus in humans and might carry a risk to the welfare and conservation of wildlife as well. We suggest vaccinating pets and captive animals to stop spillovers and spillback events. We recommend sustainable One Health surveillance at the animal-human-environmental interface to detect and prevent future epidemics and pandemics by Disease X.

Keywords: COVID-19; Rhinolophus bats; alpha variant; delta variant; horseshoe bat; mink; pangolin.

FIGURE 1

Transmission pathways and susceptibility of SARS‐CoV‐2 to domestic and wild animals

FIGURE 2

Phylogenetic analysis of SARS‐CoV‐2 and SARS‐CoV‐2 like CoV sequences from animals and humans. Blue dots represent SARS‐CoV‐2 sequences from different animal species; magenta dot refers to a reference sequence from Wuhan; green blocks indicate SARS‐CoV‐2 like CoV sequences from pangolin; mars red blocks indicate SARS‐CoV‐2 like CoV sequences from bats

FIGURE 3

Geospatial distribution of different pangolin species. The common names presented in the map and the scientific names of different colored legends is ginger pink: Smutsia termminckii; amethyst: Smutsia gigantea; cretan blue: Phataginus tricuspis; big sky blue: Phataginus tetradactyla; medium apple: Manis pentadactyla; solar yellow: M. javanica; cantaloupe: M. culionensis; mars red: M. crassicaudata

FIGURE 4

The spatial distribution of mink population along with fur production status and SARS‐CoV‐2 virus infection. (a) Spatial distribution of farm mink population density. (b) Country‐specific fur production status. (c) Country‐specific number of SARS‐CoV‐2‐reported mink farms

FIGURE 5

One health perspective of infectious disease transmission and susceptibility dynamics: SARS‐CoV‐2 as a case study