FAO: Update On SARS-CoV-2 In Animals (Global)

 #16,997

Yesterday we looked at the USDA's updated Dashboard with Data on SARS-COV-2 Variants Detected in Animals, and discussed concerns over continued spillover of SARS-CoV-2 into wild, farmed, and companion animals. 

Today we've got an update from the FAO (dated Sept 7th), which provides a map (below) showing findings in animals, lists of species infected and animal species susceptibility, and recent publications.

Although the above map show the United States with the most detections in animals, this probably speaks more to the lack of testing, surveillance, and reporting in other countries than it does anything else. 

Some excerpts from the report follow, but you'll want to visit the site to read it in its entirety. 

SARS-CoV-2 in animals situation update

7 September 2022, 17:00 hours; Rome

Overview

Situation: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2): A virus that is spreading globally through human-to-human transmission, but has also demonstrated ability to infect multiple animal species (from Canidae, Cebidae, Cercopithecidae, Cervidae, Cricetidae, Felidae, Hominidae, Hyaenidae, Mustelidae, Procionidae, Viverridae, Hippopotamidae, Myrmecophagidae families) with spillover potential from one animal species to another. In rare occasions, spill-back from animals to humans has been evidenced (mink-to-human in the Netherlands [ reference] and in Denmark [reference]; hamster-to-human in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) [reference]).

Reported human cases: As of 6 September 2022, there have been 600 366 479 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 6 460 493 deaths reported to WHO. In the last seven days, 3 475 002 new human cases and 10 741 deaths were reported worldwide. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, 238 countries, states, and territories reported COVID-19 human cases across five geographic regions including Africa (57), the Americas (57), Asia (49), Europe (50), and Oceania (25). [reference]. Cumulative COVID-19 cases reported in humans globally are presented Map 1. For detailed information on human cases, please refer to WHO COVID-19 Dashboard and WHO COVID-19 Weekly Updates.

Countries and territories with reported findings in animals (virological findings)1:France, Switzerland, Hong Kong SAR (China), Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Russia, United States of America, Denmark, Japan, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Chile, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Greece, Argentina, Lithuania, Mexico, Slovenia, Estonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Croatia, Thailand, Uruguay, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Colombia, Finland, India, Ecuador.

1 in order of first reported occurrence.

Situation in animals

Map 1 shows SARS-CoV-2 events2 in animals up to 6 September 2022 at national level, over an estimated cumulative COVID-19 human cases distribution map. Circles indicate countries reporting positive events in animals; circle size is proportional to the number of events reported in each country (see legend). The background layer map includes cumulative number of COVID-19 human cases according to WHO, 2022.

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The biggest concerns are when SARS-CoV-2 spills over into farmed animals, or dense populations of wild animals, where ongoing transmission can offer the virus new opportunities to mutate and evolve.

In late 2020, Danish authorities announced the spillover of COVID into millions of susceptible farmed mink, and the discovery of several `mink specific' mutations in the virus (see Denmark Orders Culling Of All Mink Following Discovery Of Mutated Coronavirus), which subsequently jumped back into the human population.   

That mutated `mink variant' was unable to compete against the then emerging Alpha variant, and soon vanished. But since 2021 we've seen numerous reports of SARS-COV-2 spillover into North American White-Tailed Deer (see USDA/APHIS: White-Tailed Deer Exposed To SARS-CoV-2 Detected In 4 States), and studies have shown many rodents to be highly susceptible. 

Companion animals and household pets are also at risk, although they appear less likely to serve as an effective `mixing vessel', since they are less able to create long chains of transmission. 

We have seen instances where transmission from companion animals to humans can be inferred, however,  including EID Journal: Suspected Cat-to-Human Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 - Thailand and Hong Kong Detects COVID In Pet Store Hamsters - Suspends Sales & Orders Cull.

While the results are unpredictable, the spillover of SARS-CoV-2 into non-human species adds additional uncertainty to the future course and direction of the pandemic, and requires diligent monitoring for emerging threats.