OmniVira

Literature detail

SARS-CoV-2 Reverse Zoonoses to Pumas and Lions, South Africa.

Katja Natalie Koeppel1,2 Adriano Mendes3 Amy Strydom3 Lia Rotherham4 Misheck Mulumba4 Marietjie Venter3
Affiliations 4 institutions
  1. Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
  2. Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
  3. Zoonotic Arbo- and Respiratory Virus Program, Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department for Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
  4. Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Institute, Agricultural Research Council, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
PMID 35062324 2022 Viruses eng epublish
PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

Reverse-zoonotic infections of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from humans to wildlife species internationally raise concern over the emergence of new variants in animals. A better understanding of the transmission dynamics and pathogenesis in susceptible species will mitigate the risk to humans and wildlife occurring in Africa. Here we report infection of an exotic puma (July 2020) and three African lions (July 2021) in the same private zoo in Johannesburg, South Africa. One Health genomic surveillance identified transmission of a Delta variant from a zookeeper to the three lions, similar to those circulating in humans in South Africa. One lion developed pneumonia while the other cases had mild infection. Both the puma and lions remained positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA for up to 7 weeks.

reverse zoonosis SARS-CoV-2 wildlife Animals Animals, Zoo COVID-19 Genome, Viral Humans Lions One Health Phylogeny Puma RNA, Viral SARS-CoV-2 South Africa Viral Load Viral Zoonoses

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

5 total
Spillover Event 2 records
Spillover Event Extraction confidence 0.98
Key finding

A puma in a South African zoo was infected with SARS-CoV-2, indicating a human-to-animal spillback event.

Virus
SARS-CoV-2
Location
South Africa South Africa
Supporting text

Here we report infection of an exotic puma (July 2020) in the same private zoo in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Method
sequencing
Study design
genomic surveillance
Transmission direction
human-to-animal
Geographic raw
Johannesburg, South Africa
Country inferred
South Africa
Spillover Event Extraction confidence 0.98
Key finding

A Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 was transmitted from a zookeeper to three African lions during an outbreak in Johannesburg, confirming human-to-animal spillback.

Virus
SARS-CoV-2
Location
South Africa South Africa
Supporting text

One Health genomic surveillance identified transmission of a Delta variant from a zookeeper to the three lions, similar to those circulating in humans in South Africa.

Method
sequencing
Study design
genomic surveillance
Transmission direction
human-to-animal
Geographic raw
Johannesburg, South Africa
Country inferred
South Africa
Zoonotic Surveillance 2 records
Zoonotic Surveillance Extraction confidence 0.90
Key finding

Genomic surveillance detected SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infection in three African lions at a zoo in South Africa, tracing transmission from a zookeeper.

Virus
SARS-CoV-2
Location
South Africa South Africa
Supporting text

One Health genomic surveillance identified transmission of a Delta variant from a zookeeper to the three lions, similar to those circulating in humans in South Africa.

Method
genomic surveillance
Geographic raw
Johannesburg, South Africa
Country inferred
South Africa
Zoonotic Surveillance Extraction confidence 0.85
Key finding

Surveillance at a private zoo in Johannesburg detected SARS-CoV-2 infection in an exotic puma in 2020.

Virus
SARS-CoV-2
Location
South Africa South Africa
Supporting text

Here we report infection of an exotic puma (July 2020) and three African lions (July 2021) in the same private zoo in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Geographic raw
Johannesburg, South Africa
Country inferred
South Africa
Genomic Evolution 1 records
Genomic Evolution Extraction confidence 0.70
Key finding

Genomic sequencing showed that SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infecting lions matched human Delta variants in South Africa, supporting human-to-lion transmission.

Virus
SARS-CoV-2
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

One Health genomic surveillance identified transmission of a Delta variant from a zookeeper to the three lions, similar to those circulating in humans in South Africa.

Genes or proteins
whole genome
Analysis methods
genomic surveillance; phylogenetic analysis