ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1791-3335
Current Organisation
Nottingham Trent University
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Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 05-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.28.538769
Abstract: 2. Repeat spill over of SARS-CoV-2 into new hosts has highlighted the critical role of cross species transmission of coronaviruses and establishment of new reservoirs of virus in pandemic and epizootic spread of coronaviruses. Species particularly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 spill-over include Mustelidae (mink, ferrets and related animals) and cricetid rodents (hamsters and related animals). These predispositions led us to screen British wildlife with sarbecovirus specific qPCR and pan coronavirus PCR assays for SARS-CoV-2 using s les collected during the human pandemic to establish if widespread spill-over was occurring. Fourteen wildlife species (n=402) were tested, including : 2 Red Foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ), 101 Badgers ( Meles meles ), 2 wild American Mink ( Neovison vison ), 41 Pine Marten ( Martes martes ), 2 Weasels ( Mustela nivalis ), 7 Stoats ( Mustela erminea ), 108 Water Voles ( Arvicola hibius ), 39 Bank voles ( Myodes glareolous ), 10 Field Voles ( Microtus agrestis ), 15 Wood Mice ( Apodemus sylvaticus ), 1 Common Shrew ( Sorex aranaeus ), 2 Pygmy Shrews ( Sorex minutus ), 2 Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus ) and 75 Eurasian Otters ( Lutra lutra ). No cases of SARS-CoV-2 were detected in any animals, however a novel minacovirus related to mink and ferret alphacoronaviruses was detected in stoats recently introduced to the Orkney Islands. This group of viruses is of interest due to pathogenicity in ferrets. The impact of this virus on the health of stoat populations remains to be established.
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 14-06-2023
DOI: 10.1099/JGV.0.001859
Abstract: Horseshoe bats are the natural hosts of the Sarbecovirus subgenus that includes SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV- 2. Despite the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still little known about the underlying epidemiology and virology of sarbecoviruses in their natural hosts, leaving large gaps in our pandemic preparedness. Here we describe the results of PCR testing for sarbecoviruses in the two horseshoe bat species ( Rhinolophus hipposideros and R. ferrumequinum ) present in Great Britain, collected in 2021–22 during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred and ninety seven R. hipposideros s les from 33 roost sites and 277 R . ferrumequinum s les from 20 roost sites were tested. No coronaviruses were detected in any s les from R. ferrumequinum whereas 44 and 56 % of in idual and pooled (respectively) faecal s les from R. hipposideros across multiple roost sites tested positive in a sarbecovirus-specific qPCR. Full genome sequences were generated from three of the positive s les (and partial genomes from two more) using Illumina RNAseq on unenriched s les. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the obtained sequences belong to the same monophyletic clade, with % similarity to previously-reported European isolates from R. hipposideros . The sequences differed in the presence or absence of accessory genes ORF 7b, 9b and 10. All lacked the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 spike gene and are therefore unlikely to be infective for humans. These results demonstrate a lack, or at least low incidence, of SARS-CoV-2 spill over from humans to susceptible GB bats, and confirm that sarbecovirus infection is widespread in R. hipposideros . Despite frequently sharing roost sites with R. ferrumequinum , no evidence of cross-species transmission was found.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 14-02-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.14.528476
Abstract: Horseshoe bats are the natural hosts of the Sarbecovirus subgenus that includes SARS-CoV-1 and 2. Despite the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still little known about the underlying epidemiology and virology of sarbecoviruses in their natural hosts, leaving large gaps in our pandemic preparedness. Here we describe the results of PCR testing for sarbecoviruses in the two horseshoe bat species ( Rhinolophus hipposideros and R. ferrumequinum ) present in Great Britain, collected in 2021-22 during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred and ninety seven R. hipposideros s les from 33 roost sites and 277 R. ferremequinum s les from 20 roost sites were tested. No coronaviruses were detected in any s les from R. ferrumequinum whereas 44% and 56% of in idual and pooled (respectively) faecal s les from R. hipposideros across multiple roost sites tested positive in a sarbecovirus-specific qPCR. Full genome sequences were generated from three of the positive s les (and partial genomes from two more) using Illumina RNAseq on unenriched s les. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the obtained sequences belong to the same monophyletic clade, with % similarity, as previously reported European isolates from R. hipposideros . The sequences differed in the presence or absence of accessory genes ORF 7b, 9b and 10. All lacked the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 spike gene and are therefore unlikely to be infective for humans. These results demonstrate a lack, or at least low incidence, of SARS-CoV-2 spill over from humans to susceptible GB bats, and confirm that sarbecovirus infection is widespread in R. hipposideros . Despite frequently sharing roost sites with R. ferrumequinum , no evidence of cross-species transmission was found.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Stephen Harrison.