Novel Rodent Coronavirus-like Virus Detected Among Beef Cattle with Respiratory Disease in Mexico

In February 2024, while conducting surveillance for novel respiratory viruses, we studied four beef cattle farms near Monterrey, Mexico. Nasal swabs were collected from sick and healthy beef cattle along with 3 h aerosol samples. None of the samples had molecular evidence of influenza A viruses. Thr...

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Main Authors: Ismaila Shittu, Judith U. Oguzie, Gustavo Hernández-Vidal, Gustavo Moreno-Degollado, Diego B. Silva, Lyudmyla V. Marushchak, Claudia M. Trujillo-Vargas, John A. Lednicky, Gregory C. Gray
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Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Viruses
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/3/433
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author Ismaila Shittu
Judith U. Oguzie
Gustavo Hernández-Vidal
Gustavo Moreno-Degollado
Diego B. Silva
Lyudmyla V. Marushchak
Claudia M. Trujillo-Vargas
John A. Lednicky
Gregory C. Gray
author_facet Ismaila Shittu
Judith U. Oguzie
Gustavo Hernández-Vidal
Gustavo Moreno-Degollado
Diego B. Silva
Lyudmyla V. Marushchak
Claudia M. Trujillo-Vargas
John A. Lednicky
Gregory C. Gray
author_sort Ismaila Shittu
collection DOAJ
description In February 2024, while conducting surveillance for novel respiratory viruses, we studied four beef cattle farms near Monterrey, Mexico. Nasal swabs were collected from sick and healthy beef cattle along with 3 h aerosol samples. None of the samples had molecular evidence of influenza A viruses. Three (8%) of thirty-six nasal swabs collected from the four farms and four (33.3%) of the twelve bioaerosol specimens had molecular evidence of influenza D virus. Five sick cow nasal swabs and one bioaerosol sample on a single farm had molecular evidence of rodent coronavirus-like (RCoV), an alphacoronavirus. Three (60%) of the five RCoV-positive cattle nasal swabs also had molecular evidence of influenza D. Attempts to isolate the RCoV in Vero-E6, LLC-MK2, MDBK, and L-2 cells were unsuccessful. However, we were able to assemble ~60% of the RCoV genome using next-generation sequencing. The six RCoV-positive samples clustered with RCoV strains identified in China in 2021. During the last 12 months, we have studied an estimated 478 dairy and beef cattle nasal swabs on 11 farms in the US and Mexico, and these RCoV detections are the first we have encountered. While feed contamination cannot be ruled out, given the propensity of CoVs to jump species and that we detected RCoV only in the noses of sick cows on this one farm, we are concerned that these findings could represent an isolated RCoV spillover event. With this report, we are alerting veterinarians and cattle farm owners of our observations that RCoV may be a new cause of bovine respiratory disease.
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spelling doaj-art-5c840c8d252640f19220979df552d29a2025-08-20T03:43:55ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152025-03-0117343310.3390/v17030433Novel Rodent Coronavirus-like Virus Detected Among Beef Cattle with Respiratory Disease in MexicoIsmaila Shittu0Judith U. Oguzie1Gustavo Hernández-Vidal2Gustavo Moreno-Degollado3Diego B. Silva4Lyudmyla V. Marushchak5Claudia M. Trujillo-Vargas6John A. Lednicky7Gregory C. Gray8Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USAFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Escobedo 66054, Nuevo León, MexicoFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Escobedo 66054, Nuevo León, MexicoDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USADepartment of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USAIn February 2024, while conducting surveillance for novel respiratory viruses, we studied four beef cattle farms near Monterrey, Mexico. Nasal swabs were collected from sick and healthy beef cattle along with 3 h aerosol samples. None of the samples had molecular evidence of influenza A viruses. Three (8%) of thirty-six nasal swabs collected from the four farms and four (33.3%) of the twelve bioaerosol specimens had molecular evidence of influenza D virus. Five sick cow nasal swabs and one bioaerosol sample on a single farm had molecular evidence of rodent coronavirus-like (RCoV), an alphacoronavirus. Three (60%) of the five RCoV-positive cattle nasal swabs also had molecular evidence of influenza D. Attempts to isolate the RCoV in Vero-E6, LLC-MK2, MDBK, and L-2 cells were unsuccessful. However, we were able to assemble ~60% of the RCoV genome using next-generation sequencing. The six RCoV-positive samples clustered with RCoV strains identified in China in 2021. During the last 12 months, we have studied an estimated 478 dairy and beef cattle nasal swabs on 11 farms in the US and Mexico, and these RCoV detections are the first we have encountered. While feed contamination cannot be ruled out, given the propensity of CoVs to jump species and that we detected RCoV only in the noses of sick cows on this one farm, we are concerned that these findings could represent an isolated RCoV spillover event. With this report, we are alerting veterinarians and cattle farm owners of our observations that RCoV may be a new cause of bovine respiratory disease.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/3/433rodent coronavirus (alphacoronavirus)cattleepidemiologyemerging diseasesspillover
spellingShingle Ismaila Shittu
Judith U. Oguzie
Gustavo Hernández-Vidal
Gustavo Moreno-Degollado
Diego B. Silva
Lyudmyla V. Marushchak
Claudia M. Trujillo-Vargas
John A. Lednicky
Gregory C. Gray
Novel Rodent Coronavirus-like Virus Detected Among Beef Cattle with Respiratory Disease in Mexico
Viruses
rodent coronavirus (alphacoronavirus)
cattle
epidemiology
emerging diseases
spillover
title Novel Rodent Coronavirus-like Virus Detected Among Beef Cattle with Respiratory Disease in Mexico
title_full Novel Rodent Coronavirus-like Virus Detected Among Beef Cattle with Respiratory Disease in Mexico
title_fullStr Novel Rodent Coronavirus-like Virus Detected Among Beef Cattle with Respiratory Disease in Mexico
title_full_unstemmed Novel Rodent Coronavirus-like Virus Detected Among Beef Cattle with Respiratory Disease in Mexico
title_short Novel Rodent Coronavirus-like Virus Detected Among Beef Cattle with Respiratory Disease in Mexico
title_sort novel rodent coronavirus like virus detected among beef cattle with respiratory disease in mexico
topic rodent coronavirus (alphacoronavirus)
cattle
epidemiology
emerging diseases
spillover
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/3/433
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