Infection and transmission of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and its alpha variant in pregnant white-tailed deer

Authors

Konner Cool, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Natasha N. Gaudreault, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Igor Morozov, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Jessie D. Trujillo, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
David A. Meekins, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Chester McDowell, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Mariano Carossino, Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Dashzeveg Bold, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Dana Mitzel, United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Disease Research Unit, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Taeyong Kwon, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Velmurugan Balaraman, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Daniel W. Madden, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Bianca Libanori Artiaga, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Roman M. Pogranichniy, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Gleyder Roman-Sosa, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Jamie Henningson, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.
William C. Wilson, United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Arthropod-Borne Animal Disease Research Unit, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Udeni B. Balasuriya, Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Adolfo García-Sastre, Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Juergen A. Richt, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2022

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 was first reported circulating in human populations in December 2019 and has since become a global pandemic. Recent history involving SARS-like coronavirus outbreaks have demonstrated the significant role of intermediate hosts in viral maintenance and transmission. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 natural infection and experimental infections of a wide variety of animal species has been demonstrated, and and studies have indicated that deer are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. White-tailed deer (WTD) are amongst the most abundant and geographically widespread wild ruminant species in the US. Recently, WTD fawns were shown to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we investigated the susceptibility and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in adult WTD. In addition, we examined the competition of two SARS-CoV-2 isolates, representatives of the ancestral lineage A and the alpha variant of concern (VOC) B.1.1.7 through co-infection of WTD. Next-generation sequencing was used to determine the presence and transmission of each strain in the co-infected and contact sentinel animals. Our results demonstrate that adult WTD are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and can transmit the virus through direct contact as well as vertically from doe to fetus. Additionally, we determined that the alpha VOC B.1.1.7 isolate of SARS-CoV-2 outcompetes the ancestral lineage A isolate in WTD, as demonstrated by the genome of the virus shed from nasal and oral cavities from principal infected and contact animals, and from the genome of virus present in tissues of principal infected deer, fetuses and contact animals.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Emerging microbes & infections

First Page

95

Last Page

112

Recommended Citation

Cool, K., Gaudreault, N. N., Morozov, I., Trujillo, J. D., Meekins, D. A., McDowell, C., Carossino, M., Bold, D., Mitzel, D., Kwon, T., Balaraman, V., Madden, D. W., Artiaga, B. L., Pogranichniy, R. M., Roman-Sosa, G., Henningson, J., Wilson, W. C., Balasuriya, U. B., García-Sastre, A., & Richt, J. A. (2022). Infection and transmission of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and its alpha variant in pregnant white-tailed deer. Emerging microbes & infections, 11 (1), 95-112. https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2021.2012528