The coronaviral landscape across diverse mammalian species in the Northeastern United States.
| Title: | The coronaviral landscape across diverse mammalian species in the Northeastern United States. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Ibemgbo S; Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06437, USA.; Compton S; Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06437, USA.; Breban MI; Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06437, USA.; Redmond S; Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06437, USA.; Grubaugh ND; Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06437, USA.; Linske M; Department of Entomology , The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.; Williams S; Department of Environmental Science and Forestry , The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.; Zyskowski K; Yale Peabody Museum , New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.; Watkins-Colwell G; Yale Peabody Museum , New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.; Lewis J; New York Gaming Commission , Big Flats, NY, 14814, USA.; Syracuse M; Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) , University of Connecticut , Storrs, CT, 06268, USA.; Risatti G; Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) , University of Connecticut , Storrs, CT, 06268, USA.; Tanner WD; Division of Public Health , University of Utah School of Medicine , Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA.; Zeiss C; Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06437, USA. caroline.zeiss@yale.edu. |
| Source: | Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2025 Dec 20; Vol. 16 (1), pp. 2942. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Dec 20. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Nature Publishing Group Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101563288 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2045-2322 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 20452322 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Sci Rep Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: London : Nature Publishing Group, copyright 2011- |
| MeSH Terms: | SARS-CoV-2*/genetics ; SARS-CoV-2*/isolation & purification ; COVID-19*/virology ; COVID-19*/transmission ; COVID-19*/epidemiology; New England/epidemiology ; Feces/virology ; Animals, Wild/virology ; Mammals/virology ; Animals ; Humans ; Host Specificity ; Phylogeny ; Virus Shedding |
| Abstract: | Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) across a broad mammalian host range has prompted concern that parallel evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in animals could reignite a surge in human infection. We conducted surveillance studies to describe the coronaviral landscape of wild and domestic animals (n = 889; 27 species) in the Northeastern United States. We focused on the white-footed mouse (WFM) and supplemented surveillance with laboratory infection studies to assess intra-and interspecies transmission of ancestral and Omicron variants. We detected a range of coronaviruses in fecal swabs, oral swabs or stool specimens from seven species. We did not detect SARS-CoV-2 in any animal. Infection of WFM with SARS-CoV-2 confirmed their susceptibility to ancestral and Omicron variants, however viral RNA shedding declined with the latter. Intraspecies transmission was achieved only with the ancestral strain. Neither strain could be transmitted across species. Free-living WFM experienced a 4% infection rate with a recently described Peromyscus Betacoronavirus with high similarity to HCoV-OC43. We failed to achieve in vivo infection of WFM with HCoV-OC43 indicating that WFM are unlikely to transmit this virus. Our data support a model in which evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in humans may be accompanied by its declining foothold within the animal virome.; (© 2025. The Author(s).) |
| Competing Interests: | Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. |
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| Grant Information: | U01CK000665 United States ACL ACL HHS; U01CK000665, 75D30121P12632 Centers for Disease Control; APP-22174 United States Department of Agriculture; APP-22174 U.S. Department of Agriculture |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Animal; Coronaviruses; SARS-CoV-2; Surveillance; White-footed mouse |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20251220 Date Completed: 20260123 Latest Revision: 20260127 |
| Update Code: | 20260130 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC12830656 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-025-32849-3 |
| PMID: | 41422148 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article