PARTNERSHIP: SARS-COV-2 SURVEILLANCE AND EVOLUTIONARY CHARACTERIZATION IN CAPTIVE AND WILDLIFE ANIMALS

Non Technical Summary
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic continues to result in millions of infections and deaths in humans since its emergence two years ago. Through possible human-to-animal and animal-to-animal transmission events, several species of animals have become infected with SARS-CoV-2 including at least 26 animal species consisting of pet, captive, farm, and wild animals. Infected animals can infect other species, including humans, thus threatening human and animal health and disrupting animal production chains. Clinical testing is one important step to containing the Covid-19 pandemic, monitoring virus evolution, and identifying factors in species susceptibility that may elucidate its origin or persistence. The University of Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UI VDL) has participated in investigations of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in captive animals across 11 states and was the first to report the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in tigers, lions, snow leopards, fishing cats, binturong, coatimundi, and mandrill. In the proposed project, we plan to expand our efforts in the molecular, serological, and biological investigation of SARS-CoV-2 in captive and wild animals. The first objective of this work is to conduct SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing on samples collected from zoological and wildlife animals, the second objective is to conduct SARS-CoV-2 serological screening in these animals, and the third objective is to conduct virological, pathological, and genomic characterization of positive isolates. New species tested positive by serological tests will be screened by PCR and vice versa. Additionally, a pan-coronavirus PCR will be used to screen for other coronaviruses that could recombine with SARS-CoV-2 to produce new variants. This project will expand our understanding of species sensitivity to SARS-CoV-2 and unveil the virus dynamic picture in animals.