AI Article Synopsis
- In summer 2020, SARS-CoV-2 was discovered on mink farms in Utah, prompting a One Health initiative to determine the outbreak's scope by sampling various animals around the farms.
- Of 365 animals tested, 72% were found to have at least one type of coronavirus, with specific findings including 127 alphacoronaviruses and 74 cases of SARS-CoV-2 in mink.
- The study indicates a concerningly high prevalence of coronaviruses among animals on mink farms, suggesting these locations could be significant sources for future cross-species viral transmission and new pandemic risks.
Article Abstract
In summer 2020, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detected on mink farms in Utah. An interagency One Health response was initiated to assess the extent of the outbreak and included sampling animals from on or near affected mink farms and testing them for SARS-CoV-2 and non-SARS coronaviruses. Among the 365 animals sampled, including domestic cats, mink, rodents, raccoons, and skunks, 261 (72%) of the animals harbored at least one coronavirus. Among the samples that could be further characterized, 127 alphacoronaviruses and 88 betacoronaviruses (including 74 detections of SARS-CoV-2 in mink) were identified. Moreover, at least 10% ( = 27) of the coronavirus-positive animals were found to be co-infected with more than one coronavirus. Our findings indicate an unexpectedly high prevalence of coronavirus among the domestic and wild free-roaming animals tested on mink farms. These results raise the possibility that mink farms could be potential hot spots for future trans-species viral spillover and the emergence of new pandemic coronaviruses.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8539472 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v13102016 | DOI Listing |
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