SARS-CoV2 infection in farmed mink, Netherlands, April 2020

Oreshkova, Nadia; Molenaar, Robert Jan; Vreman, Sandra; Harders, Frank; Munnink, Bas B. Oude; Honing, Renate W. Hakze-vd; Gerhards, Nora M.; Tolsma, Paulien; Bouwstra, Ruth; Sikkema, Reina S.; Tacken, Mirriam; Rooij, Myrna M.T. de; Weesendorp, Eefke; Engelsma, Marc; Bruschke, Christianne; Smit, Lidwien A.M.; Koopmans, Marion; Poel, Wim van der; Stegeman, J.A.

doi:10.1101/2020.05.18.101493

Cited by 58 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…In some cases, the farms had the same owner but in other cases no epidemiological link could be established. People coming to the different farms might be a source but also semi-wild cats roaming around the farms or wildlife might play a role (27). So far, the investigation failed to identify common factors that might explain farm to farm spread.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Jumping back and forth: anthropozoonotic and zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on mink farms

Munnink

Sikkema

Nieuwenhuijse

et al. 2020

Preprint

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The zoonotic origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is still unknown. Animal experiments have shown that non-human primates, cats, ferrets, hamsters, rabbits and bats can be infected by SARS-CoV-2. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in felids, mink and dogs in the field. Here, we describe an in-depth investigation of outbreaks on 16 mink farms and humans living or working on these farms, using whole genome sequencing. We conclude that the virus was initially introduced from humans and has evolved, most likely reflecting widespread circulation among mink in the beginning of the infection period several weeks prior to detection. At the moment, despite enhanced biosecurity, early warning surveillance and immediate culling of infected farms, there is ongoing transmission between mink farms with three big transmission clusters with unknown modes of transmission. We also describe the first animal to human transmissions of SARS-CoV-2 in mink farms.One sentence summarySARS-CoV-2 transmission on mink farms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the USA and in Hong Kong, SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected in dogs (23). In the Netherlands, France, Hong Kong, Belgium and the USA, cats have tested positive by RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 (24)(25)(26)(27). Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in four tigers and three lions in a zoo in New York (28).…”

Section: Main Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

Jumping back and forth: anthropozoonotic and zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on mink farms

Munnink

Sikkema

Nieuwenhuijse

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…The transmission pattern postulated is that virus was transmitted to the animals by infected people and then the virus spread between minks. 10 Later, in May 2020, two workers of the mink farms that could have acquired the infection from the minks have been reported. These would be the first described transmissions of SARS CoV-2 from animal to human (apart the first one that originated the pandemic).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 by healthy and sick dogs during COVID-19 pandemic in Spain

Perisé-Barrios

Tomeo-Martín

Gómez-Ochoa³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease originated by SARS-CoV-2. Infection of animals with SARS-CoV-2 are being reported during last months, and also an increase of severe lung pathologies in domestic dogs has been detected by veterinarians in Spain. Therefore it is necessary to describe the pathological processes in those animals that show symptoms similar to those described in humans affected by COVID-19. The potential for companion animals contributing to the continued human-to-human disease, infectivity, and community spread is an urgent issue to be considered. Forty animals with pulmonary pathologies were studied by chest X-ray, ultrasound study, and computed tomography. Nasopharyngeal and rectal swab were analyzed to detect canine pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. Twenty healthy dogs living in SARS-CoV-2 positive households were included. Immunoglobulin detection by different immunoassays was performed. Our findings show that sick dogs presented severe alveolar or interstitial pattern, with pulmonary opacity, parenchymal abnormalities, and bilateral lesions. Forty dogs were negative for SARS-CoV-2 but Mycoplasma spp. was detected in 26 of 33 dogs. Five healthy and one pathological dog presented IgG against SARS-CoV-2. Here we report that despite detecting dogs with IgG α-SARS-CoV-2, we never obtained a positive RT-qPCR, not even in dogs with severe pulmonary disease; suggesting that even in the case of a canine infection transmission would be unlikely. Moreover, dogs living in COVID-19 positive households could have been more exposed to be infected during outbreaks.

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“…To further investigate this, we analyzed all currently available genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 viruses of naturally infected American minks and experimentally infected ferrets (32 sequences representing 24 animals, accessed: 2020-08-01). There are viral sequences available from two natural reverse zoonotic events in mink farms in Europe, which allowed us to infer founder-effect mutations versus acquired mutations of relevance to spillover (11). We identified three mutations of interest in the surface glycoprotein (S protein) coding sequence: N501T, D614G and S686G ( Fig.…”

Section: Identification Of Two Mustelid-associated Mutations In Sars-mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…individuals into mink (11), dogs (12) and felines (13)(14)(15). American mink (Neovison vison) are currently the only species observed to have natural human-to-animal spillover and onward transmission (11). To date, at least mink farms in the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark and United States have reported outbreaks, including at least one probable case of mink-to-human transmission (16,17).…”

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confidence: 99%

Ferrets not infected by SARS-CoV-2 in a high-exposure domestic setting

Sawatzki

Hill

Puryear

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) are mustelids of special relevance to laboratory studies of respiratory viruses and have been shown to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and onward transmission. Here, we report the results of a natural experiment where 29 ferrets in one home had prolonged, direct contact and constant environmental exposure to two humans with symptomatic COVID-19. We observed no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission into the household ferret population via RT-PCR and ELISA. To better understand this discrepancy in experimental and natural infection in ferrets, we compared SARS-CoV-2 sequences from natural and experimental mustelid infections and identified two surface glycoprotein mutations associated with mustelids. While there is evidence that ACE2 provides a weak host barrier, one mutation only seen in ferrets is located in the novel S1/S2 cleavage site and is computationally predicted to decrease furin activity. These data suggest that host factors interacting with the novel S1/S2 cleavage site are a barrier in ferret SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and that domestic ferrets are at low risk of natural infection.

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SARS-CoV2 infection in farmed mink, Netherlands, April 2020

Cited by 58 publications

References 17 publications

Jumping back and forth: anthropozoonotic and zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on mink farms

Jumping back and forth: anthropozoonotic and zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on mink farms

Humoral response to SARS-CoV-2 by healthy and sick dogs during COVID-19 pandemic in Spain

Ferrets not infected by SARS-CoV-2 in a high-exposure domestic setting

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