SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo
ABSTRACT In late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 spilled over from an animal host into humans, where it efficiently spread, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. Through both natural and experimental infections, we learned that many animal species are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, animals in close proximit...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Society for Microbiology
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | mSphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00989-24 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849773372188131328 |
|---|---|
| author | Emily N. Gallichotte Laura Bashor Katelyn Erbeck Lara Croft Katelyn Stache Jessica Long Sue VandeWoude James C. Johnson Kristy L. Pabilonia Gregory D. Ebel |
| author_facet | Emily N. Gallichotte Laura Bashor Katelyn Erbeck Lara Croft Katelyn Stache Jessica Long Sue VandeWoude James C. Johnson Kristy L. Pabilonia Gregory D. Ebel |
| author_sort | Emily N. Gallichotte |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT In late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 spilled over from an animal host into humans, where it efficiently spread, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. Through both natural and experimental infections, we learned that many animal species are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, animals in close proximity to humans, including companion, farmed, and those at zoos and aquariums, became infected, and many studies demonstrated transmission to/from humans in these settings. In this study, we first review the literature of SARS-CoV-2 infections in tigers and lions and compare species, sex, age, virus and antibody detection assay, and types, frequency, and length of clinical signs, demonstrating broad heterogeneity among infections. We then describe a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo in late 2021. Animals were tested for viral RNA (vRNA) for 4 months. Lions had significantly more vRNA in nasal swabs than both tigers and hyenas, and many individual lions experienced viral recrudescence after weeks of undetectable vRNA. Infectious virus was correlated with high levels of vRNA and was more likely to be detected earlier during infection. Four months post-infection, all tested animals generated robust neutralizing antibody titers. Animals were infected with Delta lineage AY.20 identical to a variant circulating at less than 1% in Colorado humans at that time, suggesting a single spillover event from an infected human spread within and between species housed at the zoo. Better understanding of epidemiology and susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals is critical to limit the current and future spread and protect animal and human health.IMPORTANCESurveillance and experimental testing have shown many animal species, including companion, wildlife, and conservatory, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, big cats at zoological institutions were among the first documented cases of naturally infected animals; however, challenges in the ability to collect longitudinal samples in zoo animals have limited our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 kinetics and clearance in these settings. We measured SARS-CoV-2 infections over 4 months in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo and detected viral RNA, infectious virus, neutralizing antibodies, and recrudescence after initial clearance. We found lions had longer and higher levels of virus compared to the other species. All animals were infected by a rare viral lineage circulating in the human population, suggesting a single spillover followed by interspecies transmission. These data are important in better understanding natural SARS-CoV-2 spillover, spread, and infection kinetics within multiple species of zoo animals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c0bb80ab9acf41708b389799a44db773 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2379-5042 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | mSphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-c0bb80ab9acf41708b389799a44db7732025-08-20T03:02:04ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymSphere2379-50422025-02-0110210.1128/msphere.00989-24SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver ZooEmily N. Gallichotte0Laura Bashor1Katelyn Erbeck2Lara Croft3Katelyn Stache4Jessica Long5Sue VandeWoude6James C. Johnson7Kristy L. Pabilonia8Gregory D. Ebel9Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USADepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USAVeterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, Colorado State University, Colorado, Fort Collins, USAMorris Animal Foundation, Denver, USADenver Zoo Conservation Alliance, Denver, USADenver Zoo Conservation Alliance, Denver, USADepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USADenver Zoo Conservation Alliance, Denver, USADepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USADepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USAABSTRACT In late 2019, SARS-CoV-2 spilled over from an animal host into humans, where it efficiently spread, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. Through both natural and experimental infections, we learned that many animal species are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, animals in close proximity to humans, including companion, farmed, and those at zoos and aquariums, became infected, and many studies demonstrated transmission to/from humans in these settings. In this study, we first review the literature of SARS-CoV-2 infections in tigers and lions and compare species, sex, age, virus and antibody detection assay, and types, frequency, and length of clinical signs, demonstrating broad heterogeneity among infections. We then describe a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo in late 2021. Animals were tested for viral RNA (vRNA) for 4 months. Lions had significantly more vRNA in nasal swabs than both tigers and hyenas, and many individual lions experienced viral recrudescence after weeks of undetectable vRNA. Infectious virus was correlated with high levels of vRNA and was more likely to be detected earlier during infection. Four months post-infection, all tested animals generated robust neutralizing antibody titers. Animals were infected with Delta lineage AY.20 identical to a variant circulating at less than 1% in Colorado humans at that time, suggesting a single spillover event from an infected human spread within and between species housed at the zoo. Better understanding of epidemiology and susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals is critical to limit the current and future spread and protect animal and human health.IMPORTANCESurveillance and experimental testing have shown many animal species, including companion, wildlife, and conservatory, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, big cats at zoological institutions were among the first documented cases of naturally infected animals; however, challenges in the ability to collect longitudinal samples in zoo animals have limited our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 kinetics and clearance in these settings. We measured SARS-CoV-2 infections over 4 months in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo and detected viral RNA, infectious virus, neutralizing antibodies, and recrudescence after initial clearance. We found lions had longer and higher levels of virus compared to the other species. All animals were infected by a rare viral lineage circulating in the human population, suggesting a single spillover followed by interspecies transmission. These data are important in better understanding natural SARS-CoV-2 spillover, spread, and infection kinetics within multiple species of zoo animals.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00989-24COVID-19spillovercross-species transmission |
| spellingShingle | Emily N. Gallichotte Laura Bashor Katelyn Erbeck Lara Croft Katelyn Stache Jessica Long Sue VandeWoude James C. Johnson Kristy L. Pabilonia Gregory D. Ebel SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo mSphere COVID-19 spillover cross-species transmission |
| title | SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo |
| title_full | SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo |
| title_fullStr | SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo |
| title_full_unstemmed | SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo |
| title_short | SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in lions, tigers, and hyenas at Denver Zoo |
| title_sort | sars cov 2 outbreak in lions tigers and hyenas at denver zoo |
| topic | COVID-19 spillover cross-species transmission |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00989-24 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emilyngallichotte sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo AT laurabashor sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo AT katelynerbeck sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo AT laracroft sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo AT katelynstache sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo AT jessicalong sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo AT suevandewoude sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo AT jamescjohnson sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo AT kristylpabilonia sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo AT gregorydebel sarscov2outbreakinlionstigersandhyenasatdenverzoo |