RT Journal Article
T1 No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Wild Mink (Mustela lutreola and Neogale vison) from Northern Spain during the First Two Years of Pandemic
A1 Villanueva-Saz, Sergio
A1 Giner, Jacobo
A1 Palomar, Ana María
A1 Gómez, María Asunción
A1 Põdra, Madis
A1 Aranda, María del Carmen
A1 Jiménez Martínez, María De Los Ángeles
A1 Lizarraga, Patricia
A1 Hernández, Raquel
A1 Portillo, Aránzazu
A1 Oteo, José Antonio
A1 Ruíz-Arrondo, Ignacio
A1 Pérez Alenza, María De Los Dolores
A1 Tobajas, Ana Pilar
A1 Verde, Maite
A1 Lacasta, Delia
A1 Marteles, Diana
A1 Hurtado-Guerrero, Ramón
A1 Santiago, Llipsy
A1 Ruíz, Héctor
A1 Fernández, Antonio
AB The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on wildlife is largely unevaluated, and extended surveillance of animal species is needed to reach a consensus on the role of animals in the emergence and maintenance of SARS-CoV-2. This infection has been detected in farmed and domestic animals and wild animals, mainly in captivity. The interactions or shared resources with wildlife could represent a potential transmission pathway for the SARS-CoV-2 spill over to other wild species and could lead to health consequences or the establishment of new reservoirs in susceptible hosts. This study evaluated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in European mink (Mustela lutreola) and American mink (Neogale vison) in Spain by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the receptor binding domain (RBD) of Spike antigen in serum samples and/or by RT-qPCR assays in oropharyngeal and rectal swabs. From January 2020 to February 2022, a total of 162 animals (127 European mink and 35 American mink) with no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in the study. Antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 were not found in the serum samples analysed (n = 126), nor was the virus amplified by RT-qPCR (n = 160 swabs). Our results suggest that the potential role of wild mink and the European mink bred in captivity and released to the wild as dispersers of SARS-CoV-2 is so far low. However, wildlife surveillance for early detection of human and animal risks should be continued. In this sense, epidemiological monitoring measures, including serology and molecular analysis, are necessary.
SN 2076-2615
YR 2022
FD 2022
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/96596
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/96596
LA eng
DS Docta Complutense
RD 23 jul 2024