Italian scientists investigate whether stranded cetaceans show evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection
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Loading... - Aidan Moran
- 07 Oct 2022
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A new Pathogens journal study examines SARS-CoV-2 infection in stranded cetaceans found dead along the Italian coast. The National Reference Centre for Diagnostic Investigations on Stranded Marine Mammals, in collaboration with the Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali, screened stranded for SARS-CoV-2 cetaceans along the Italian coast between 2020 and 2022.
Background
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which arises from infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused over 6.53 million deaths worldwide. In addition to infecting humans, SARS-CoV-2 can potentially infect various types of wild mammals.
Previously, SARS-CoV-2 has been found to infect and replicate in ferrets, cats, rabbits, and farmed mink. In farmed mink, spillover occurred into farm workers in Poland and the Netherlands.
Similar infections were identified in other mammals; however, most wild animals do not appear to have a significant role in the current spread of SARS-CoV-2 among humans, albeit pet hamsters have demonstrated the possibility of zoonotic spread. Yet, the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in animals could promote the emergence of new variants while also putting them at risk.
If, as in humans, SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals leads to pneumonia, animals could die, thus affecting wildlife conservation efforts. This type of impact on wildlife has been reported with the cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV), which has caused large numbers of deaths among cetaceans.
Cetaceans and ACE2
Since cetaceans have homologous angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors to those in humans, they are considered potentially susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, especially given the broad host range of this virus. However, there is no evidence of such reverse zoonosis.
Wastewater contaminated with SARS-CoV-2 could carry the virus to susceptible cetaceans and other species in the aquatic environment, depending on the temperature, humidity, type of water treatment, presence of other microbes, and effects of ultraviolet light and chemicals. With high viral titers, SARS-CoV-2 may survive, especially in the cold, for over 20 days at 4o C or one week at 22o C. Read More...
