Lack of Evidence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spillover in Free-Living Neotropical Non-Human Primates, Brazil

Author(s):Show less -

Sacchetto, Livia ^[1] ; Chaves, Barbara Aparecida ^{[2, 3, 4]} ; Costa, Edson Rodrigues ^[3] ; de Menezes Medeiros, Aline Souza ^[3] ; Gordo, Marcelo ^[5] ; Araujo, Danielle Bastos ^{[6, 7]} ; Oliveira, Danielle Bruna Leal ^{[6, 7, 8]} ; da Silva, Ana Paula Betaressi ^[9] ; Negri, Andreia Francesli ^[9] ; Durigon, Edison Luiz ^{[7, 10]} ; Hanley, Kathryn A. ^[11] ; Vasilakis, Nikos ^{[12, 13, 14, 15, 16]} ; de Lacerda, Marcus Vinicius Guimaraes ^{[2, 3, 17]} ; Nogueira, Mauricio Lacerda ^[1]

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Fac Med Sao Jose Rio Preto, Dept Doencas Dermatol Infecciosas & Parasitarias, Lab Pesquisas Virol, BR-15090000 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estado Amazonas, Programa Posgrad Med Trop, BR-69040000 Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil

^[3] Inst Pesquisas Clin Carlos Borborema, Fundacao Med Trop Doutor Heitor Vieria Doura, BR-69040000 Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil

^[4] Univ Fed Amazonas, Programa Posgrad Ciencias Saude, BR-69020160 Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil

^[5] Univ Fed Amazonas, Inst Ciencias Biol, Lab Biol Conservacao, Projeto Sauimde Coleira, PPGZOO, PPGCASA, CAPES Coordenacao Aperfeicoamento, BR-69080900 Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil

^[6] Hosp Israelita Albert Einstein, BR-05652900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[7] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Microbiol, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[8] Inst Butantan, Ctr Inovacao & Desenvolvimento, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[9] Dept Vigilancia Epidemiol Sao Jose Rio Preto, BR-15084010 Sao Jose Do Rio Preto - Brazil

^[10] Univ Sao Paulo, Plataforma Cient Pasteur, BR-05508020 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[11] New Mexico State Univ, Dept Biol, Las Cruces, NM 88003 - USA

^[12] Univ Texas Med Branch, Ctr Trop Dis, Galveston, TX 77555 - USA

^[13] Univ Texas Med Branch, Dept Pathol, Galveston, TX 77555 - USA

^[14] Univ Texas Med Branch, Ctr Biodef & Emerging Infect Dis, Galveston, TX 77555 - USA

^[15] Univ Texas Med Branch, Inst Human Infect & Immun, Galveston, TX 77555 - USA

^[16] Univ Texas Med Branch, Sealy Ctr Vector Borne & Zoonot Dis, Galveston, TX 77555 - USA

^[17] Fiocruz MS, Inst Leonidas & Maria Deane, BR-69057070 Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Viruses-Basel; v. 13, n. 10 OCT 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is responsible for the worst pandemic of the 21st century. Like all human coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 originated in a wildlife reservoir, most likely from bats. As SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the globe in humans, it has spilled over to infect a variety of non-human animal species in domestic, farm, and zoo settings. Additionally, a broad range of species, including one neotropical monkey, have proven to be susceptible to experimental infection with SARS-CoV-2. Together, these findings raise the specter of establishment of novel enzootic cycles of SARS-CoV-2. To assess the potential exposure of free-living non-human primates to SARS-CoV-2, we sampled 60 neotropical monkeys living in proximity to Manaus and Sao Jose do Rio Preto, two hotspots for COVID-19 in Brazil. Our molecular and serological tests detected no evidence of SAR-CoV-2 infection among these populations. While this result is reassuring, sustained surveillance efforts of wildlife living in close association with human populations is warranted, given the stochastic nature of spillover events and the enormous implications of SARS-CoV-2 spillover for human health. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/04836-0 - Clinical and epidemiological study of SARS-CoV-2 in a prospective population and hospitalar cohorts in São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil in 2020
• Grantee: Maurício Lacerda Nogueira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants