First Description of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Two Feral American Mink (Neovison vison) Caught in the Wild.

Jordi Aguiló-Gisbert,Jesús Cardells,Miguel Padilla-Blanco,Elisa Maiques,Eva Chillida-Martínez,Victor Lizana,Consuelo Rubio-Guerri,Marta Muñoz-Baquero

doi:10.3390/ani11051422

Abstract

Simple SummaryCOVID-19 is one of the most important pandemics in recent history. It is an emerging infectious disease, probably of animal origin. Several domesticated and non-domesticated animals are naturally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, including Mustelidae, of which mink is the first species identified to suffer from this infection. We report herein the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA in lymph node tissue from two feral American mink (Neovison vison) trapped in the wild in the Valencian Community (Eastern Spain) during invasive species trapping campaigns.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causal agent of COVID-19, is considered a pathogen of animal origin that is mainly transmitted from human to human. Several animal species can be naturally or experimentally infected by SARS-CoV-2, with compelling evidence that mink is highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Human-to-mink infection cases have been reported and there are also suggestions that mink-to-human infection occurs. Mink infections have been reported to date only on fur farms, except for one infected free- ranging wild mink near a Utah (USA) fur farm, which suggests a transmission pathway from farms to wild mink. We now report the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in 2 of 13 feral dark brown American mink (Neovison vison) trapped in the Valencian Community (Eastern Spain), during an invasive species trapping campaign. They were trapped in riverbeds in sparsely inhabited rural areas known to harbor self-sustained feral mink populations. The closest fur farm is about 20 km away. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by two-step RT-PCR in these animals’ mesenteric lymph nodes and was confirmed by sequencing a 397-nucleotide amplified region of the S gene, yielding identical sequences in both animals. A molecular phylogenetic analysis was run on this sequence, which was found to correspond to the consensus SARS-CoV-2 sequence from Wuhan. Our findings appear to represent the first example of SARS-CoV-2 acquired in the wild by feral mink in self-sustained populations.

Highlights

COVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease probably of zoonotic origin [1,2]
We describe the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in two feral American mink (Neovison vison) that were caught in the wild during a trapping campaign in Eastern Spain (Valencian Community)
Feral American mink have been reported in this area since the late 1980s [34], as a consequence of accidental escapes or intentional releases from fur farms located in the Valencian Community or in neighboring provinces (Figure 1)

Summary

Introduction

COVID-19 is an emerging infectious disease probably of zoonotic origin [1,2]. It is believed that the virus originated in wild animals and was transmitted to humans through an intermediate unidentified animal host [3], to cause a global pandemic through human-to-human transmission [4]. Some species [5] have been reported to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which supports the view that this virus can cross species barriers. Experimental infections have revealed different susceptibility levels among several animal species and families. The spread of SARS-CoV-2 throughout vast human populations worldwide has resulted in reports of transmission to animals living in close association with infected people [5,10]. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in pet and stray cats (Felis silvestris catus) [5], in tigers (Panthera tigris) and lions (Panthera leo) from zoos [11], in domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) [12,13] and in American mink (Neovison vison) on fur farms [14]

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