Spillover Events Research Articles

High mortality in free-ranging wild boars associated with African swine fever virus in India.

The present study focuses on the pathological and molecular characterization of African swine fever virus (ASFV) associated with an outbreak in wild boars in two national parks in southern India in 2022-2023. Significant mortality was observed among free-ranging wild boars at Bandipur National Park, Karnataka, and Mudumalai National Park, Tamil Nadu. Extensive combing operations were undertaken in both national parks, spanning an area of around 100 km2, originating from the reported epicenter, to estimate the mortality rate. Recovered carcasses were pathologically examined, and ASFV isolates was genetically characterized. Our findings suggested spillover infection of ASFV from nearby domestic pigs, and the virus was equally pathogenic in wild boars and domestic pigs. ASFV intrusion was reported in the Northeastern region of the country, which borders China and Myanmar, whereas the current outbreak is very distantly located, in southern India. Molecular data will help in tracing the spread of the virus in the country.

Zoonotic spillover and extreme weather events drive the global outbreaks of airborne viral emerging infectious diseases.

Outbreaks of airborne viral emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) cause an increasing burden on global public health, particularly with a backdrop of intensified climate change. However, infection sources and drivers for outbreaks of airborne viral EIDs remain unknown. Here, we aim to explore the driving mechanisms of outbreaks based on the one health perspective. Outbreak information for 20 types of airborne viral EIDs was collected from the Global Infectious Disease and Epidemiology Network database and a systematic literature review. Four statistically significant and high-risk spatiotemporal clusters for airborne viral EID outbreaks were identified globally using multivariate scan statistic tests. There were 112 outbreaks with clear infection sources, and zoonotic spillover was the most common source (95.54%, 107/112). Since 1970, the majority of outbreaks occurred in healthcare facilities (24.82%), followed by schools (17.93%) and animal-related settings (15.93%). Significant associations were detected between the number of earthquakes, storms, duration of floods, and airborne viral EIDs' outbreaks using a case-crossover study design and multivariable conditional logistic regression. These findings implied that zoonotic spillover and extreme weather events are driving global outbreaks of airborne viral EIDs, and targeted prevention and control measures should be made to reduce the airborne viral EIDs burden.

SEROLOGICAL RESPONSE TO CANINE DISTEMPER VACCINATION IN WILD CAUGHT RACCOONS (PROCYON LOTOR).

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a well-known RNA virus that affects domestic dogs and all families of wild terrestrial carnivores. Spillover infections from wildlife to domestic animals are mitigated by preventive vaccination, but there is limited information on the off-label use of veterinary vaccines for wildlife like raccoons (Procyon lotor). Twenty wild-caught raccoons were inoculated with a commercial recombinant DNA canarypox-vectored CDV vaccine, applying a regimen of two serial doses by SC route with an interval of 25-28 days between doses. The CDV serum virus neutralizing antibody (VNA) baseline titers and the postvaccination titers were measured at fixed time points. Forty percent (8/20) of the wild-caught raccoons had CDV VNA titers of 1:8 or greater upon intake, and all but a single individual were juvenile animals. Approximately one month following the first vaccine dose, 8% (1/12) of raccoons seronegative at baseline had serum CDV VNA titers of 1:24 or greater. Approximately one month following the booster vaccine dose, 67% (8/12) of raccoons seronegative at baseline had serum CDV VNA titers of 1:24 or greater. Among raccoons with CDV VNA titers greater than or equal to 1:8 at baseline, 13% (1/8) demonstrated a fourfold or greater rise in titer one month after the first vaccine dose, whereas 38% (3/8) reached the same threshold one month after the booster dose. The presence of naturally acquired CDV VNA in juvenile raccoons at the time of vaccination may have interfered with the humoral VNA response. A regimen of at least two serially administered SC vaccine doses may be immunogenic for raccoons, but further investigation of alternative routes, regimens, and CDV vaccine products is also warranted for this species.

Current and future environmental suitability for bats hosting potential zoonotic pathogens in rural Kenya.

Synanthropic bats live in close proximity to humans and domestic animals, creating opportunities for potential pathogen spillover. We explored environmental correlates of occurrence for a widely distributed synanthropic African bat, Mops pumilus-a species associated with potential zoonotic viruses-and estimated current and future environmental suitability in the Taita Hills region and surrounding plains in Taita-Taveta County in southeast Kenya. To project future environmental suitability, we used four Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 general circulation models that capture temperature and precipitation changes for East Africa. The models were parameterized with empirical capture data of M. pumilus collected from 2016 to 2023, combined with satellite-based vegetation, topographic, and climatic data to identify responses to environmental factors. The strongest drivers for current environmental suitability for M. pumilus were short distance to rivers, higher precipitation during the driest months, sparse vegetation-often related to urban areas-and low yearly temperature variation. To predict current and future areas suitable for M. pumilus, we created ensemble niche models, which yielded excellent predictive accuracies. Current suitable environments were located southward from the central and southern Taita Hills and surrounding plains, overlapping with urban centers with the highest human population densities in the area. Future projections for 2050 indicated a moderate increase in suitability range in the southern portion of the region and surrounding plains in human-dominated areas; however, projections for 2090 showed a slight contraction of environmental suitability for M. pumilus, potentially due to the negative impact of increased temperatures. These results show how environmental changes are likely to impact the human exposure risk of bat-borne pathogens and could help public health officials develop strategies to prevent these risks in Taita-Taveta County, Kenya, and other parts of Africa.

Estimating pathogen-spillover risk using host-ectoparasite interactions.

Pathogen spillover corresponds to the transmission of a pathogen or parasite from an original host species to a novel host species, preluding disease emergence. Understanding the interacting factors that lead to pathogen transmission in a zoonotic cycle could help identify novel hosts of pathogens and the patterns that lead to disease emergence. We hypothesize that ecological and biogeographic factors drive host encounters, infection susceptibility, and cross-species spillover transmission. Using a rodent-ectoparasite system in the Neotropics, with shared ectoparasite associations as a proxy for ecological interaction between rodent species, we assessed relationships between rodents using geographic range, phylogenetic relatedness, and ectoparasite associations to determine the roles of generalist and specialist hosts in the transmission cycle of hantavirus. A total of 50 rodent species were ranked on their centrality in a network model based on ectoparasites sharing. Geographic proximity and phylogenetic relatedness were predictors for rodents to share ectoparasite species and were associated with shorter network path distance between rodents through shared ectoparasites. The rodent-ectoparasite network model successfully predicted independent data of seven known hantavirus hosts. The model predicted five novel rodent species as potential, unrecognized hantavirus hosts in South America. Findings suggest that ectoparasite data, geographic range, and phylogenetic relatedness of wildlife species could help predict novel hosts susceptible to infection and possible transmission of zoonotic pathogens. Hantavirus is a high-consequence zoonotic pathogen with documented animal-to-animal, animal-to-human, and human-to-human transmission. Predictions of new rodent hosts can guide active epidemiological surveillance in specific areas and wildlife species to mitigate hantavirus spillover transmission risk from rodents to humans. This study supports the idea that ectoparasite relationships among rodents are a proxy of host species interactions and can inform transmission cycles of diverse pathogens circulating in wildlife disease systems, including wildlife viruses with epidemic potential, such as hantavirus.

Viral pathogen detection in U.S. game-farm mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) flags spillover risk to wild birds.

The threat posed by emerging infectious diseases is a major concern for global public health, animal health and food security, and the role of birds in transmission is increasingly under scrutiny. Each year, millions of mass-reared game-farm birds are released into the wild, presenting a unique and a poorly understood risk to wild and susceptible bird populations, and to human health. In particular, the shedding of enteric pathogens through excrement into bodies of water at shared migratory stop-over sites, and breeding and wintering grounds, could facilitate multi-species long-distance pathogen dispersal and infection of high numbers of naive endemic birds annually. The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is the most abundant of all duck species, migratory across much of its range, and an important game species for pen-rearing and release. Major recent population declines along the US Atlantic coast has been attributed to game-farm and wild mallard interbreeding and the introduction maladaptive traits into wild populations. However, pathogen transmission and zoonosis among game-farms Mallard may also impact these populations, as well as wildlife and human health. Here, we screened 16 game-farm Mallard from Wisconsin, United States, for enteric viral pathogens using metatranscriptomic data. Four families of viral pathogens were identified - Picobirnaviridae (Genogroup I), Caliciviridae (Duck Nacovirus), Picornaviridae (Duck Aalivirus) and Sedoreoviridae (Duck Rotavirus G). To our knowledge, this is the first report of Aalivirus in the Americas, and the first report of Calicivirus outside domestic chicken and turkey flocks in the United States. Our findings highlight the risk of viral pathogen spillover from peri-domestically reared game birds to naive wild bird populations.

Target enrichment metaviromics enables comprehensive surveillance of coronaviruses in environmental and animal samples

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of understanding the role of animals in the transmission of coronaviruses (CoVs) and their impact on human health. A One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health, is essential for effective CoVs control. Next-generation sequencing has played a pivotal role in identifying and monitoring the evolution of novel CoVs strains, like SARS-CoV-2. However, viral occurrence and diversity studies in environmental and animal samples are challenging because of the complexity of viral communities and low abundance of viruses in these samples.Target enrichment sequencing (TES) has emerged as a valuable tool for investigating viral families in challenging samples. This approach involves the specific capture and enrichment of viral genomes using sequence-specific probes, thereby enhancing the efficiency of detection and characterization.In this study, we aimed to develop and validate a TES panel to study CoVs in various complex environmental and animal derived samples. The results demonstrated the panel's effectiveness in capturing and sequencing a wide diversity of CoVs providing valuable insights into their abundance and host diversity in urban wastewater, farm animal corpses lixiviates and bat guano samples. In sewage samples, CoVs were detected solely when TES was employed while in guano samples, sequencing of CoVs species was achieved in 2 out of 4 samples showing an almost three-logarithmic increase in the number of reads obtained in comparison with the untargeted approach. For animal lixiviates, only the TES application enabled the acquisition of CoVs reads. The information obtained can significantly contribute to early detection, surveillance, and control measures for CoVs, including viral discovery and potential spillover events. Additionally, this sequencing panel shows potential for studying other significant viral families and monitoring viral diversity in different animal populations.

Serological evidence of zoonotic filovirus exposure among bushmeat hunters in Guinea

Human Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreaks caused by persistent EBOV infection raises questions on the role of zoonotic spillover in filovirus epidemiology. To characterise filovirus zoonotic exposure, we collected cross-sectional serum samples from bushmeat hunters (n = 498) in Macenta Prefecture Guinea, adjacent to the index site of the 2013 EBOV-Makona spillover event. We identified distinct immune signatures (20/498, 4.0%) to multiple EBOV antigens (GP, NP, VP40) using stepwise ELISA and Western blot analysis and, live EBOV neutralisation (5/20; 25%). Using comparative serological data from PCR-confirmed survivors of the 2013-2016 EBOV outbreak, we demonstrated that most signatures (15/20) were not plausibly explained by prior EBOV-Makona exposure. Subsequent data-driven modelling of EBOV immunological outcomes to remote-sensing environmental data also revealed consistent associations with intact closed canopy forest. Together our findings suggest exposure to other closely related filoviruses prior to the 2013-2016 West Africa epidemic and highlight future surveillance priorities.

Phylogenetic analysis of papillomaviruses in dogs from southern Brazil: molecular epidemiology and investigation of mixed infections and spillover events.

Papillomaviruses (PVs) have been identified in several animal species, including dogs (canine papillomaviruses, CPVs) and cattle (bovine papillomaviruses, BPVs). Although some BPVs may occasionally infect species other than cattle, to the best of our knowledge, BPVs have not been reported in dogs to date. Herein, we carried out a retrospective phylogenetic study of PVs circulating in dogs from southern Brazil between 2017 and 2022, also investigating possible mixed infections and spillover events. For this, we screened 32 canine papilloma samples by PCR using the degenerate primers FAP59/64 and/or MY09/11, which amplify different regions of the L1 gene; the genomic target often used for PV classification/typing. Out these, 23 PV DNA samples were successfully amplified and sequenced. All PVs amplified by FAP59/64 (n = 22) were classified as CPV-1. On the other hand, PVs amplified by MY09/11 (n = 4) were classified as putative BPV-1. Among these, three samples showed mixed infection by CPV-1 and putative BPV-1. One of the putative BPV-1 detected in co-infected samples had the L1 gene full-sequenced, confirming the gene identity. Furthermore, the phylogenetic classifications from the FAP59/64 and/or MY09/11 amplicons were supported by a careful in silico analysis, which demonstrated that the analysis based on them matches to the classification from the complete L1 gene. Overall, we described CPV-1 circulation in southern Brazil over the years and thepotencial BPV infection in dogs (potential spillover event), as well as possible CPV/1/BPV-1 co-infections. Finally, we suggest the analysis of the complete genome of the putative BPVs detected in dogs in order to deepen the knowledge about the PV-host interactions.

Review and meta-analysis of correlates of home range size in bats

Abstract Home range is an ecological concept that affects many aspects of the life of vertebrates and hence understanding how it varies between species is crucial. Mammalian home range size has been linked to body size and diet, but these studies were based predominantly on terrestrial species and most specifically excluded bats. As the only group of flying mammals, bats experience distinctly different constraints on movement, and hence home range. However, despite their diversity, relatively little is known about the home ranges of bats, and this is the first global review assessing correlates of their home range size. Our hypothesis is that home range will be impacted by different ecological conditions experienced by the bats and by the biological traits of the bats themselves. We performed a meta-analysis based on published data for 81 bat species to identify variables that contribute most to home range size. Sex, wing loading, functional group, colony size, dietary class, distance from the equator (latitudinal region), habitat type, and the interaction between habitat type and latitudinal region were all important explanatory variables. Wing loading was positively correlated with home range size—while females, open-air foragers, large colony sizes, and bats in temperate regions consistently had large home ranges. Understanding the correlates of home range has important implications, for example, for bat conservation and for assessing the risk of spillover of zoonotic pathogens from bats to humans and livestock.

Phylodynamics and Phylogenetic Analysis of Recent SARS CoV 2 Viral Strains from Pune, Maharashtra

In December 2019, medical practitioners from China identified a novel strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome-CoV (SARS-CoV). The disease was allotted a zoonotic origin and the spillover event is associated with Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID- 19 as an international public-health emergency concern. In India, the index case was reported on 30th January in the district of Thrissur, state of Kerala and by 25th March 2020, the country was lockdown. This research aims to analyze the viral phylogenetic and phylodynamics of strains from Pune, Maharashtra, followed by a comparison against real time data and an analysis of the potency of government prevention strategies. Publicly available SARS-CoV-2 sequences, specific to Pune, Maharashtra, were downloaded from GISAID during the time frame of the epidemics. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences, including Maximum Likelihood trees and the nucleotide substitution model, were done using IQ-TREE software. Phylodynamic tools available as part of the BEAST2 software was used to estimate the evolution of R number through time. GTR+F+I was found to be the best-fit nucleotide substitution model for the data acquired. ML trees constructed reported a log likelihood of 44842.9931. Analysis of trace estimates reported R number with an average of 1, indicating transmission of virus. The data contains controversial elements which can only be clarified upon further sequencing of the SARS- CoV-2 strains, however, the results obtained are parallel to real time statistics.

Spotlight on a complex crisis spillover: A multi-organisational perspective on rebuilding trust and reducing distrust in the Australian banking industry

Recent crisis spillover research expands our understanding of the effects of crisis spillover on reputation, legitimacy, consumer attitudes and behaviours, as well as how organisations can respond to these types of crisis spillover events. However, there remains scant exploration of the impact of crisis spillover on trust and limited if any consideration of distrust as a separate and distinct concept from trust. In a crisis, trust is an important relationship outcome, and the present lack of empirical understanding of it in crisis spillover can limit future research and practice. Consequently, this study’s examination of message strategies that address both trust and distrust concerns, and in turn repair these key relational concepts, can address the current void in public relations theory. In addition, the research record provides limited insights into the strategies employed by multiple organisations with varied responsibility for crisis spillovers. To address these gaps in our understanding about complex crisis spillover, this study adopts associative network theory and extends its application via a case study approach focussing on the Australian banking industry. The findings contribute new knowledge to the crisis communication, trust repair and crisis spillover literature.

Modeling spillover dynamics: understanding emerging pathogens of public health concern

The emergence of infectious diseases with pandemic potential is a major public health threat worldwide. The World Health Organization reports that about 60% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, originating from spillover events. Although the mechanisms behind spillover events remain unclear, mathematical modeling offers a way to understand the intricate interactions among pathogens, wildlife, humans, and their shared environment. Aiming at gaining insights into the dynamics of spillover events and the outcome of an eventual disease outbreak in a population, we propose a continuous time stochastic modeling framework. This framework links the dynamics of animal reservoirs and human hosts to simulate cross-species disease transmission. We conduct a thorough analysis of the model followed by numerical experiments that explore various spillover scenarios. The results suggest that although most epidemic outbreaks caused by novel zoonotic pathogens do not persist in the human population, the rising number of spillover events can avoid long-lasting extinction and lead to unexpected large outbreaks. Hence, global efforts to reduce the impacts of emerging diseases should not only address post-emergence outbreak control but also need to prevent pandemics before they are established.

Seroevidence of SARS-CoV-2 spillback to rodents in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 is believed to have originated from a spillover event, where the virus jumped from bats to humans, leading to an epidemic that quickly escalated into a pandemic by early 2020. Despite the implementation of various public health measures, such as lockdowns and widespread vaccination efforts, the virus continues to spread. This is primarily attributed to the rapid emergence of immune escape variants and the inadequacy of protection against reinfection. Spillback events were reported early in animals with frequent contact with humans, especially companion, captive, and farmed animals. Unfortunately, surveillance of spillback events is generally lacking in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to address this gap by investigating the presence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies in wild rodents in Sarawak, Malaysia.ResultsWe analysed 208 archived plasma from rodents collected between from 2018 to 2022 to detect neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using a surrogate virus neutralisation test, and discovered two seropositive rodents (Sundamys muelleri and Rattus rattus), which were sampled in 2021 and 2022, respectively.ConclusionOur findings suggest that Sundamys muelleri and Rattus rattus may be susceptible to natural SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, there is currently no evidence supporting sustainable rodent-to-rodent transmission.

Evaluation of the immunogenicity of an mRNA vectored Nipah virus vaccine candidate in pigs.

Nipah virus (NiV) poses a significant threat to human and livestock populations across South and Southeast Asia. Vaccines are required to reduce the risk and impact of spillover infection events. Pigs can act as an intermediate amplifying host for NiV and, separately, provide a preclinical model for evaluating human vaccine candidate immunogenicity. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the immunogenicity of an mRNA vectored NiV vaccine candidate in pigs. Pigs were immunized twice with 100 μg nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine encoding soluble G glycoprotein from the Malaysia strain of NiV, formulated in lipid nanoparticles. Potent antigen-binding and virus neutralizing antibodies were detected in serum following the booster immunization. Antibody responses effectively neutralized both the Malaysia and Bangladesh strains of NiV but showed limited neutralization of the related (about 80% amino acid sequence identity for G) Hendra virus. Antibodies were also capable of neutralizing NiV glycoprotein mediated cell-cell fusion. NiV G-specific T cell cytokine responses were also measurable following the booster immunization with evidence for induction of both CD4 and CD8 T cell responses. These data support the further evaluation of mRNA vectored NiV G as a vaccine for both pigs and humans.

Roles of Wildlife Reservoirs in the Maintenance and Transmission of Zoonotic Diseases in Nigeria

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine roles of wildlife reservoirs in the maintenance and transmission of zoonotic diseases in Nigeria. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study revealed that wildlife populations serve as reservoirs for a diverse array of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites, many of which have the potential to spill over into human populations and cause disease outbreaks. Factors such as habitat destruction, encroachment into wildlife habitats, wildlife trade, and climate change contribute to increased interactions between humans and wildlife, facilitating the transmission of zoonotic pathogens. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Ecological niche theory & Host-Pathogen Coevolution Theory may be used to anchor future studies on roles of wildlife reservoirs in the maintenance and transmission of zoonotic diseases in Nigeria. Strengthen surveillance systems to monitor wildlife populations, identify emerging zoonotic pathogens, and assess the risk of spillover events. This includes implementing targeted surveillance programs in high-risk regions and species known to harbor zoonotic pathogens. Develop and implement wildlife conservation policies that prioritize the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem health while considering the potential risks associated with zoonotic disease transmission.

Prediction of viral spillover risk based on the mass action principle

Infectious zoonotic disease emergence, through spillover events, is of global concern and has the potential to cause significant harm to society, as recently demonstrated by COVID-19. More than 70% of the 400 infectious diseases that emerged in the past five decades have a zoonotic origin, including all recent pandemics. There have been several approaches used to predict the risk of spillover through some of the known or suspected infectious disease emergence drivers, largely using correlative approaches. Here, we predict the spatial distribution of spillover risk by approximating general transmission through animal and human interactions. These mass action interactions are approximated through the multiplication of the spatial distribution of zoonotic virus diversity and human population density. Although our results indicate higher risk in regions along the equator and in Southeast Asia where both virus diversity and human population density are high, it should be noted that this is primarily a conceptual exercise. We compared our spillover risk map to key factors, including the model inputs of zoonotic virus diversity estimate map, human population density map, and the spatial distribution of species richness. Despite the limitations of this approach, this viral spillover map is a step towards developing a more comprehensive spillover risk prediction system to inform global monitoring.

Host Barriers Limit Viral Spread in a Spillover Host: A Study of Deformed Wing Virus in the Bumblebee Bombus terrestris.

The transmission of pathogens from reservoir to recipient host species, termed pathogen spillover, can profoundly impact plant, animal, and public health. However, why some pathogens lead to disease emergence in a novel species while others fail to establish or do not elicit disease is often poorly understood. There is strong evidence that deformed wing virus (DWV), an (+)ssRNA virus, spills over from its reservoir host, the honeybee Apis mellifera, into the bumblebee Bombus terrestris. However, the low impact of DWV on B. terrestris in laboratory experiments suggests host barriers to virus spread in this recipient host. To investigate potential host barriers, we followed the spread of DWV genotype B (DWV-B) through a host's body using RT-PCR after experimental transmission to bumblebees in comparison to honeybees. Inoculation was per os, mimicking food-borne transmission, or by injection into the bee's haemocoel, mimicking vector-based transmission. In honeybees, DWV-B was present in both honeybee faeces and haemolymph within 3 days of inoculation per os or by injection. In contrast, DWV-B was not detected in B. terrestris haemolymph after inoculation per os, suggesting a gut barrier that hinders DWV-B's spread through the body of a B. terrestris. DWV-B was, however, detected in B. terrestris faeces after injection and feeding, albeit at a lower abundance than that observed for A. mellifera, suggesting that B. terrestris sheds less DWV-B than A. mellifera in faeces when infected. Barriers to viral spread in B. terrestris following oral infection may limit DWV's impact on this spillover host and reduce its contribution to the community epidemiology of DWV.

Assessment of the Risk Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Prevalence between Cats and Dogs in America and Europe: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic represented a huge obstacle for public health and demonstrated weaknesses in surveillance and health promotion systems around the world. Its etiological agent, SARS-CoV-2, of zoonotic origin, has been the target of several studies related to the control and prevention of outbreaks and epidemics of COVID-19 not only for humans but also for animals. Domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, have extensive contact with humans and can acquire the infection both naturally and directly from humans. The objective of this article was to summarize the seroprevalence findings of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs and cats and correlate them with the strength of infection risk between each of them. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis following the recommendations of PRISMA 2020. The search and selection of papers was carried out using in vivo experimental works with animals using the descriptors (MeSH/DeCS) "Animal", "Public Health", "SARS-CoV-2" and "Pandemic" (together with AND) in English, Portuguese or Spanish for Science Direct, PUBMED, LILACS and SciELO databases. The ARRIVE checklist was used for methodological evaluation and the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis v2.2 software with the Difference Risk (RD) test to evaluate statistical inferences (with subgroups by continent). Cats showed greater susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 compared to dogs both in a joint analysis of studies (RD = 0.017; 95% CI = 0.008-0.025; p < 0.0001) and in the American subgroup (RD = 0.053; 95% CI = 0.032-0.073; p < 0.0001), unlike the lack of significant difference on the European continent (RD = 0.009; 95% CI = -0.001-0.018; p = 0.066). Therefore, it was observed that cats have a greater interest in health surveillance due to the set of biological and ecological aspects of these animals, but also that there are a set of factors that can influence the spread and possible spillover events of the virus thanks to the anthropozoonotic context.

Global and regional seroprevalence of coxiellosis in small ruminants: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Coxiellosis is a neglected zoonosis for occupationally exposed people in many parts of the world. Sheep and goats are two important small ruminants that act as reservoirs for human contamination; however, there is a lack of comprehensive data on the epidemiological aspects of coxiellosis in sheep and goats at regional and global levels. The aim of this study was to systematically review the available articles on seroprevalence of coxiellosis in sheep and goats and estimate the overall seroprevalence in different regions. A systematic search strategy was performed in five electronic repositories for articles published until December 2021. Relevant data were extracted from the selected articles based on the inclusion criteria. A random effect meta-analysis model was used to analyse the data. Results are presented as the prevalence of seropositivity as a percentage and 95% confidence intervals. The global pooled seroprevalence of coxiellosis in sheep was 17.38% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.59%-19.17%). Overall, the regional level pooled prevalence estimates in sheep ranged from 15.04% (95% CI: 7.68%-22.40%) to 19.14% (95% CI: 15.51%-22.77%), depending on region. The global pooled seroprevalence of coxiellosis in goats was 22.60% (95% CI: 19.54%-25.66%). Overall, the regional level pooled prevalence estimates in goats ranged from 6.33% (95% CI: 2.96%-9.71%) to 55.13% (95% CI: 49.61%-60.65%), depending on the region. The prevalence estimates also varied significantly in both sheep and goats depending on age, sex, and rearing systems of the animals (p<0.001). Seroprevalence of coxiellosis in both sheep and goats is considerable. Routine monitoring of the sheep and goat populations is needed to prevent spillover infection in other livestock and humans.