SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance between 2020 and 2021 of All Mammalian Species in Two Flemish Zoos (Antwerp Zoo and Planckendael Zoo)

doi:10.3390/vetsci10060382

. 2023 May 31;10(6):382.

doi: 10.3390/vetsci10060382.

SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance between 2020 and 2021 of All Mammalian Species in Two Flemish Zoos (Antwerp Zoo and Planckendael Zoo)

Léa Joffrin¹, Tine Cooreman¹, Erik Verheyen^{1

2}, Francis Vercammen³, Joachim Mariën¹, Herwig Leirs¹, Sophie Gryseels^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
² OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
³ Centre for Research and Conservation, Antwerp Zoo Society, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium.

PMID: 37368768
PMCID: PMC10303584
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10060382

SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance between 2020 and 2021 of All Mammalian Species in Two Flemish Zoos (Antwerp Zoo and Planckendael Zoo)

Léa Joffrin et al. Vet Sci. 2023.

. 2023 May 31;10(6):382.

doi: 10.3390/vetsci10060382.

Authors

Léa Joffrin¹, Tine Cooreman¹, Erik Verheyen^{1

2}, Francis Vercammen³, Joachim Mariën¹, Herwig Leirs¹, Sophie Gryseels^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
² OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
³ Centre for Research and Conservation, Antwerp Zoo Society, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium.

PMID: 37368768
PMCID: PMC10303584
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10060382

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of human infections and deaths worldwide. Several other mammal species are also susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, and multiple instances of transmission from humans to pets, farmed mink, wildlife and zoo animals have been recorded. We conducted a systematic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in all mammal species in two zoos in Belgium between September and December 2020 and July 2021, in four sessions, and a targeted surveillance of selected mammal enclosures following SARS-CoV-2 infection in hippopotamuses in December 2021. A total of 1523 faecal samples from 103 mammal species were tested for SARS-CoV-2 via real-time PCR. None of the samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Additional surrogate virus neutralisation tests conducted on 50 routinely collected serum samples from 26 mammal species were all negative. This study is the first to our knowledge to conduct active SARS-CoV-2 surveillance for several months in all mammal species of a zoo. We conclude that at the time of our investigation, none of the screened animals were excreting SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: Belgium; SARS-CoV-2; mammals; surveillance; zoo.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

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[1] The Lancet Respiratory Medicine COVID-19 Transmission—Up in the Air. Lancet Respir. Med. 2020;8:1159. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30514-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[2] The Lancet Respiratory Medicine COVID-19 Transmission—Up in the Air. Lancet Respir. Med. 2020;8:1159. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30514-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[3] Boklund A., Gortázar C., Pasquali P., Roberts H., Nielsen S.S., Stahl K., Stegeman A., Baldinelli F., Broglia A., Van Der Stede Y., et al. Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Mustelids. EFSA J. 2021;19:e06459. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6459. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[4] Boklund A., Gortázar C., Pasquali P., Roberts H., Nielsen S.S., Stahl K., Stegeman A., Baldinelli F., Broglia A., Van Der Stede Y., et al. Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Mustelids. EFSA J. 2021;19:e06459. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6459. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[5] Oreshkova N., Molenaar R.J., Vreman S., Harders F., Munnink B.B.O., der Honing R.W.H., Gerhards N., Tolsma P., Bouwstra R., Sikkema R.S., et al. SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Farmed Minks, the Netherlands, April and May 2020. Eurosurveillance. 2020;25:2001005. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.23.2001005. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[6] Oreshkova N., Molenaar R.J., Vreman S., Harders F., Munnink B.B.O., der Honing R.W.H., Gerhards N., Tolsma P., Bouwstra R., Sikkema R.S., et al. SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Farmed Minks, the Netherlands, April and May 2020. Eurosurveillance. 2020;25:2001005. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.23.2001005. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[7] Domańska-Blicharz K., Orłowska A., Smreczak M., Niemczuk K., Iwan E., Bomba A., Lisowska A., Opolska J., Trȩbas P., Potyrało P., et al. Mink SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Poland—Short Communication. J. Vet. Res. 2021;65:1–5. doi: 10.2478/jvetres-2021-0017. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Domańska-Blicharz K., Orłowska A., Smreczak M., Niemczuk K., Iwan E., Bomba A., Lisowska A., Opolska J., Trȩbas P., Potyrało P., et al. Mink SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Poland—Short Communication. J. Vet. Res. 2021;65:1–5. doi: 10.2478/jvetres-2021-0017. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Chandler J.C., Bevins S.N., Ellis J.W., Linder T.J., Tell R.M., Jenkins-Moore M., Root J.J., Lenoch J.B., Robbe-Austerman S., DeLiberto T.J., et al. SARS-CoV-2 Exposure in Wild White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2021;118:e2114828118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2114828118. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Chandler J.C., Bevins S.N., Ellis J.W., Linder T.J., Tell R.M., Jenkins-Moore M., Root J.J., Lenoch J.B., Robbe-Austerman S., DeLiberto T.J., et al. SARS-CoV-2 Exposure in Wild White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2021;118:e2114828118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2114828118. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance between 2020 and 2021 of All Mammalian Species in Two Flemish Zoos (Antwerp Zoo and Planckendael Zoo)

Affiliations

SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance between 2020 and 2021 of All Mammalian Species in Two Flemish Zoos (Antwerp Zoo and Planckendael Zoo)

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