Assessing the risks of SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife

R J Delahay,K Sharun,C Gortazar,J Nziza,A C Breed,E L Snary,L Flores Girón,G C Smith,S M Brookes,F Z X Lean,J De La Fuente,A R Fooks

doi:10.1186/s42522-021-00039-6

Abstract

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 likely emerged from a wildlife source with transmission to humans followed by rapid geographic spread throughout the globe and severe impacts on both human health and the global economy. Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been many instances of human-to-animal transmission involving companion, farmed and zoo animals, and limited evidence for spread into free-living wildlife. The establishment of reservoirs of infection in wild animals would create significant challenges to infection control in humans and could pose a threat to the welfare and conservation status of wildlife. We discuss the potential for exposure, onward transmission and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in an initial selection of wild mammals (bats, canids, felids, mustelids, great apes, rodents and cervids). Dynamic risk assessment and targeted surveillance are important tools for the early detection of infection in wildlife, and here we describe a framework for collating and synthesising emerging information to inform targeted surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife. Surveillance efforts should be integrated with information from public and veterinary health initiatives to provide insights into the potential role of wild mammals in the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2.

Highlights

It is estimated that there have been over 122 million cases of human infection with Covid-19 globally, with over 2.7 million deaths [1] and widespread community transmission in many countries
This requires an assessment of the potential role of wildlife populations in the epidemiology of infection, and in particular, identification of those species and the circumstances most likely to lead to reservoirs of infection
Conclusions the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is currently being driven by human-to-human transmission with no evidence that domestic or wild animals are playing an important role, this may not remain the case

Summary

Introduction

It is estimated that there have been over 122 million cases of human infection with Covid-19 globally, with over 2.7 million deaths [1] and widespread community transmission in many countries. Based on the available evidence, the potential role of wildlife in the persistence, spread, and possible re-emergence of SARS-CoV-2 is discussed below, and a framework for dynamic risk assessment and targeted surveillance is described.

Results

Conclusion