Susceptibility of different animal species to experimental infection with SARS-CoV-2 (review)

The susceptibility of animal species to SARS-CoV-2, under experimental conditions, is a subject of great interest for the international scientific community. Compared to observational studies of natural disease outbreaks in different animal species, experimental studies based on in silico, in vitro and in vivo research, are important alternatives to evaluate the prediction of potential hosts for SARS-CoV-2 infection. In order to determine the susceptibility of a host species and the risk of acting as a potential animal reservoir, a large number of different animal species, domestic and wild, were experimentally infected with SARS-CoV-2, which were classified as permissive or resistant. Experimental infections have proven to be crucial for clarifying aspects of the pathogenetic mechanism, viral persistence and elimination, immune response, antiviral sensitivity, vaccine production, immunotherapy and improving diagnostic methods. In this article, some experimental infections carried out in different animal species will be reviewed, according to the data from the literature.

Integrating remote international experience and community engagement into course-based animal behavior research.

Human-centered, active-learning approaches can help students develop core competencies in biology and other STEM fields, including the ability to conduct research, use quantitative reasoning, communicate across disciplinary boundaries, and connect science education to pressing social and environmental challenges. Promising approaches for incorporating active learning into biology courses include the use of course-based research, community engagement, and international experiences. Disruption to higher education due to the COVID-19 pandemic made each of these approaches more challenging or impossible to execute. Here, we describe a scalable course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) for an animal behavior course that integrates research and community engagement in a remote international experience. Students in courses at two U.S. universities worked with community partners to analyze the behavior of African goats grazing near informal settlements in Western Cape, South Africa. Partners established a relationship with goat herders, and then created 2-min videos of individual goats that differed in criteria (goat sex and time of day) specified by students. Students worked in small groups to choose dependent variables, and then compared goat behavior across criteria using a factorial design. In postcourse surveys, students from both universities indicated overall enthusiasm for the experience. In general, students indicated that the laboratory provided them with "somewhat more" of a research-based experience compared with biology laboratories they had taken of similar length, and "somewhat more" to "much more" of a community-engagement and international experience. Educational benefits were complemented by the fact that international educational partners facing economic hardship due to the pandemic received payment for services. Future iterations of the CURE can focus on goat behavior differences across ecological conditions to help herders increase production in the face of continued environmental and social challenges. More generally, applying the structure of this CURE could facilitate mutually beneficial collaborations with residents of under-resourced areas around the world.

First serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 natural infection in small ruminants : Brief report.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late December 2019 and spread worldwide, quickly becoming a pandemic. This zoonotic coronavirus shows a broad host range, including wildlife and domestic animals. Small ruminants are shown to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 but, to date, no natural infection has been reported. Herein, we performed a survey for SARS-CoV-2 among sheep and goats in the Campania region of Italy using an indirect multispecies ELISA. Next, positive sera were submitted to virus serum neutralization for the quantification of specific neutralizing antibodies. Out of 612 sheep and goats, 23 were found ELISA positive (3.75%) and 1 of them showed 1:20 neutralizing antibodies titer. No significant difference was found between the two species, as well as between male and female, geographical location and age. Our findings demonstrate that natural infection can occur in flocks in a field situation. Moreover, low susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 is reported for sheep and goats, nevertheless, the continuous mutations of this virus open new scenarios on viral host range and tropism, highlighting the importance of investigating animal species that could represent ongoing or future possible hosts.

Enteropathy and bone marrow hypoplasia associated with presumptive albendazole toxicosis in a juvenile Boer goat.

Albendazole is a widely used anthelmintic drug that is labeled for the treatment of specific nematodes and flukes in ruminants. Albendazole is approved for the treatment of liver flukes in goats (10 mg/kg PO for a single dose), but is commonly used extra-label in situations in which parasite resistance is an issue. Albendazole toxicosis has been reported in pigeons, doves, alpacas, humans, dogs, and cats. Here we report an adverse event in a 6-mo-old goat associated with extra-label use of albendazole (35.7 mg/kg PO daily for 3 d). Clinicopathologic findings included severe diarrhea and death, with small intestinal crypt necrosis and dysplasia, and severe bone marrow hypoplasia. Microbial and molecular testing and transmission electron microscopy ruled out infectious organisms. The described pathologic changes are similar to those reported in other species that have experienced toxicosis associated with albendazole. To our knowledge, bone marrow and intestinal lesions associated with albendazole use in the goat have not been reported previously. Veterinarians should be aware of potential adverse events and toxicoses associated with anthelmintic drugs, especially as parasite resistance increases, and extra-label usage, and the use of such drugs without veterinary supervision, becomes more common.

Analysis of intermediate hosts and susceptible animals of SARS-CoV-2 by computational methods

COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 that produces major symptoms of pneumonia, has been a disaster worldwide. The traceability of SARSCoV- 2 and the discovery of susceptible animal species is crucial to halt viral transmission and explore the mechanism of cross-species transmission. We selected 82 representative ACE2 sequences from the 1000 sequences with the closest homology to the hACE2 protein. All selected ACE2 proteins were subjected to homology modeling. Potential natural and intermediate hosts, as well as animal species susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, were analyzed systematically by calculation of the binding free energy of ACE2 protein to the RBD of SARSCoV- 2. Primates, some wild Felidae, civets, goats, spotted hyenas and golden hamsters are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and may be potential intermediate hosts, whereas pangolins, birds and reptiles are unlikely to be intermediate hosts. Mice, rats and guinea pig are not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Given their possible susceptibility, non-human primates, goats and golden hamsters could potentially be used as experimental models to examine SARS-CoV-2 infection without transgenesis. Herein, possible candidates for the natural and intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV-2 are suggested, to provide guidance for subsequent studies.

Molecular survey for tick-borne pathogens and associated risk factors in sheep and goats in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria.

Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) pose an increased health and productivity risk to livestock in sub-Saharan Africa. Information regarding TBPs infecting small ruminants in Kano metropolis is scarce. Therefore, we investigated the molecular epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens of economic importance from sheep and goats in Kano, Nigeria using Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 346 blood DNA samples were collected from small ruminants and analyzed for TBPs using PCR and sequencing. Risk of infection was determined for age, sex, breed and animal species. Our results indicate the absence of piroplasmids (Babesia/Theileria) and Rickettsia spp. infections. The overall prevalence for Anaplasma spp. was 9.25% (32/346) with a higher prevalence in goats 13.59% (25/184) compared with sheep 4.32% (7/162). With respect to age of animals, goats >4 years had the highest prevalence of 32.45% (11/37) which differs significantly (P = 0.0059) compared with other age categories. Cross breed goats had a prevalence of 15.63% (5/32) compared with Kano brown breed 14.08 (20/142). Sex significant difference (P = 0.029) was observed in the goats with females having the highest prevalence 20.89% (14/67) compared with males 9.40% (11/117). Furthermore, with regards to sheep, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed with respect to age and breed. Finally, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed with the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. due to Body condition score (BCS) in both sheep and goats. Conclusively, the occurrence of TBPs in small ruminants is low. Continuous efforts in tick control must be sustained to ensure high productive yield and reduced disease burden associated with TBPs of sheep and goats in Kano metropolis.

SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in imported meat and animal parts for food safety and security

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 is contagious and fatal to humans. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant concerns on food safety and security are rising due to potential interspecies transmission. As such, surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 on imported meat and animal parts is carried out and reported in this study to safeguard food safety and security. Overall, none of the 225 samples from various livestock (buffaloes, cattle, goat and pig) imported from seven countries were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) from July 2020 to November 2021. This study finding serves as a baseline data for SARS-CoV-2 in imported meat and animal parts. Notably, this study accentuated the importance of active surveillance to prevent zoonosis and to safeguard food safety and security.

Tourism employees' readiness during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of Greek tourism industry

The objective of this article is to explore the readiness of the tourism industry in Greece during the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, this study examines employees' readiness in issues related to the implementation of health protocols or emergency management (such as COVID-19 pandemic), the employers' satisfaction from their employees in dealing with the pandemic and emergency issues, and the necessity of appropriate employees' training in such topics for the most efficient operation of tourism businesses. To satisfy the aforementioned objectives three empirical studies were conducted, involving 457 employers, 455 employees and 12 stakeholders of the tourism industry in Greece and in particular hotels, food businesses and travel agencies. As regards the methodological context, this study was based on the combination of qualitative and quantitative research. According to the key findings of these studies, employers of tourism businesses consider that their staff is sufficiently prepared in dealing with emergencies (such as pandemic Covid-19), while employees consider that they are not adequately trained in dealing with such issues. In terms of employers' satisfaction from their employees' readiness in dealing with emergencies, employers are quite satisfied by them. Moreover, both employers and employees as well as tourism stakeholders acknowledge the necessity of trained staff in emergency periods for the effective operation of tourism businesses. The findings of this study provide useful insights to policy makers, tourism industry and tourism educators in order to provide the necessary strategic plans for tourism education and training and its adjustment in the meta-Covid-19 era.

Coronavirus infections in large and small ruminants

Coronavirus infections rank first in the pathology of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system in large and small ruminants. The paper analyzes the occurrence, spread, development, trends and prevention of coronavirus infections in ruminants in Bulgaria, Europe and around the world. Retrospective, descriptive and statistical methods were used. The experience and the specifics of the coronavirus diseases encountered so far in large and small ruminants - cattle, buffaloes, camels, deer, sheep and goats and their epizootic character are summarized.

Variation in age of primiparity in mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) estimated from horn growth increments

Variation in age of primiparity is important for population dynamics and wildlife management because it can affect population growth. Using a novel technique based on the trade-off between annual horn growth and reproduction, we estimated the age of primiparity for 2274 female mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816)) harvested across British Columbia, Canada, from 1976 to 2019. We then investigated spatio-temporal variation in the probability that harvested females were primiparous when aged 3, 4, or 5 years and older using Bayesian ordinal regressions. We found that the probability of primiparity at 3 years decreased over time in nearly all mountain ranges. In the Coastal Mountain range, however, the probability of primiparity at age 3 significantly increased. These results suggest that the large coastal populations of mountain goats could be more resilient to harvest than other populations in British Columbia, which may be experiencing environmental effects promoting later primiparity. Models predicting age of primiparity from annual growth measures are a valuable tool for wildlife management and could help conservation of many species. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] L'âge à la primiparité est une composante importante de la dynamique des populations et de la gestion de la faune, car elle peut influencer la croissance des populations. Utilisant une technique novatrice reposant sur les compromis entre la croissance annuelle des cornes et la reproduction, nous avons estimé l'âge à la primiparité de 2274 chèvres de montagne (Oreamnos americanus (Blainville, 1816)) femelles récoltées en Colombie-Britannique (Canada) de 1976 à 2019. Ensuite, en utilisant des régressions ordinales bayésiennes, nous avons examiné les tendances spatiotemporelles de la probabilité que les femelles soient primipares à 3, 4 ou 5 ans et plus. Nous avons constaté un déclin temporel de la probabilité de récolter une femelle primipare à 3 ans dans presque toutes les chaînes de montagnes de la province. Cependant, dans la chaîne de montagne côtière, cette probabilité augmente significativement au fil du temps. Ces résultats semblent indiquer que les grandes populations côtières de chèvres de montagne seraient plus résilientes aux récoltes annuelles que d'autres populations en Colombie-Britannique, chez lesquelles la primiparité pourrait être retardée par des effets environnementaux. Les modèles qui prédisent l'âge à la primiparité à partir de mesures de la croissance annuelle constituent un outil à fort potentiel pour la gestion de la faune et pourraient s'avérer utiles pour la conservation de plusieurs espèces. (French) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Canadian Journal of Zoology is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Demography and renewal of generations in breeding: inventory, perspectives and unresolved questions

In this paper the author discusses the situation of livestock breeders in France highlighting the effects of Covid-19 on the socioeconomic aspects of meat and milk production of the cattle, sheep and goats sectors.