Biology subjects

Pickering, B.

Publications and source records attributed to Pickering, B..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Highly divergent white-tailed deer SARS-CoV-2 with potential deer-to-human transmission

Wildlife reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 may enable viral adaptation and spillback from animals to humans. In North America, there is evidence of unsustained spillover of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), but no evidence of transmission from deer to humans. Through a biosurveillance program in Ontario, Canada we identified a new and highly divergent lineage of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer. This lineage is the most divergent SARS-CoV-2 lineage identified to date, with 76 consensus mutations (including 37 previously associated with non-human animal hosts) and signatures of considerable evolution and transmission within wildlife. Phylogenetic analysis also revealed an epidemiologically linked human case. Together, our findings represent the first clear evidence of sustained evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer and of deer-to-human transmission.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

First detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Canadian wildlife identified in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from southern Quebec, Canada

White-tailed deer are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and represent a highly important species for surveillance. Nasal swabs and retropharyngeal lymph nodes from white-tailed deer (n=258) collected in November 2021 from Quebec, Canada were analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. We employed viral genomics and transcriptomics to further characterize infection and investigate host response to infection. We detected Delta SARS-CoV-2 (AY.44) in deer from the Estrie region; sequences clustered with human sequences from GISAID collected in October 2021 from Vermont, USA, which borders this region. Mutations in the S-gene and a deletion in ORF8 encoding a truncated protein were detected. Host expression patterns in SARS-CoV-2 infected deer were associated with the innate immune response, including signalling pathways related to anti-viral, pro- and anti-inflammatory signalling, and host damage. Our findings provide preliminary insights of host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in deer and underscores the importance of ongoing surveillance of key wildlife species for SARS-CoV-2.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2020

Susceptibility of domestic swine to experimental infection with SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2, the agent responsible for COVID-19 has been shown to infect a number of species. The role of domestic livestock and the risk associated for humans in close contact remains unknown for many production animals. Determination of the susceptibility of pigs to SARS-CoV-2 is critical towards a One Health approach to manage the potential risk of zoonotic transmission. Here, pigs undergoing experimental inoculation are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 at low levels. Viral RNA was detected in group oral fluids and nasal wash from at least two animals while live virus was isolated from a pig. Further, antibodies could be detected in two animals at 11 and 13 days post infection, while oral fluid samples at 6 days post inoculation indicated the presence of secreted antibodies. These data highlight the need for additional livestock assessment to better determine the potential role domestic animals may contribute towards the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

microbiology↗