The origin of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing the global coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, remains a mystery. Current evidence suggests a ...likely spillover into humans from an animal reservoir. Understanding the host range and identifying animal species that are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection may help to elucidate the origin of the virus and the mechanisms underlying cross-species transmission to humans. Here we demonstrated that white-tailed deer (
), an animal species in which the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) - the SARS-CoV-2 receptor - shares a high degree of similarity to humans, are highly susceptible to infection. Intranasal inoculation of deer fawns with SARS-CoV-2 resulted in established subclinical viral infection and shedding of infectious virus in nasal secretions. Notably, infected animals transmitted the virus to non-inoculated contact deer. Viral RNA was detected in multiple tissues 21 days post-inoculation (pi). All inoculated and indirect contact animals seroconverted and developed neutralizing antibodies as early as day 7 pi. The work provides important insights into the animal host range of SARS-CoV-2 and identifies white-tailed deer as a susceptible wild animal species to the virus.
Given the presumed zoonotic origin of SARS-CoV-2, the human-animal-environment interface of COVID-19 pandemic is an area of great scientific and public- and animal-health interest. Identification of animal species that are susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2 may help to elucidate the potential origin of the virus, identify potential reservoirs or intermediate hosts, and define the mechanisms underlying cross-species transmission to humans. Additionally, it may also provide information and help to prevent potential reverse zoonosis that could lead to the establishment of a new wildlife hosts. Our data show that upon intranasal inoculation, white-tailed deer became subclinically infected and shed infectious SARS-CoV-2 in nasal secretions and feces. Importantly, indirect contact animals were infected and shed infectious virus, indicating efficient SARS-CoV-2 transmission from inoculated animals. These findings support the inclusion of wild cervid species in investigations conducted to assess potential reservoirs or sources of SARS-CoV-2 of infection.
Several sympatric deer species that utilize the same, limited resources during the lean season may compete for food resources and thus strongly affect forest regeneration and increase ...wildlife-forestry conflicts. Using fecal DNA metabarcoding, we studied winter diet compositions, food preferences, and dietary niche partitioning among moose, roe deer, and red deer in NE Poland during harsh (snowy) and mild winters to test the competition avoidance hypothesis. In coniferous and mixed forests, these three species exhibited browsing strategy, as their winter diets were dominated by a high proportion of woody browse (>99% of plant DNA sequences in moose, >90% in roe deer, and >79% in red deer fecal samples) and contained almost no grasses. Dietary richness per fecal sample was the lowest for moose (9.8), higher for roe deer (19.6), and the highest for red deer (26.3), as it was also composed of different forbs and ferns. The studied cervids were selective and strongly preferred Scots pine, Maleae (incl. rowan tree), Salix sp. and the ericaceous dwarf shrubs, and avoided Norway spruce, silver birch, oak, bramble, and alder buckthorn. During mild winters, increased browsing by roe deer and red deer on the ericaceous dwarf shrubs resulted in the overlap of their diets. When the snow cover depth exceeded 10 cm, these two deer species effectively partitioned their diets, in line with the hypothesis of competition avoidance for food resources. During harsh winter, however, the diets of roe deer and red deer overlapped to a larger extent with the moose ‘conifer diet’, resulting in possible competition for food. In effect, the joint browsing of native European deer species on young coniferous trees during harsh winter was larger than that during mild winters. The same could be the case in managed forests where available forage is usually scarce. These findings may have profound consequences for future forest and ungulate management under ongoing climate change.
•Roe deer and red deer diets overlapped during mild winter and were dissimilar during harsh winter.•When snow cover depth was over 10 cm, roe deer and red deer diets overlapped with moose diet.•Plants from the forest floor layer are necessary elements for dietary niche partitioning among European deer species during winter.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
On the Hyblean Plateau (south eastern Sicily) at Contrada Cimillà, south west of Ragusa, the infillings of a karstic cavity on the carbonatic Ragusa platform has yielded abundant Pleistocene mammal ...bones. Prevailing remains of thé pigmy megacerine Megaloceros (Megaceroides) carburangelensis (De Gregorio, 1925) are associated with scanty remains of Cervus siciliae Pohlig, Elephas cf. mnaidriensis Adams, Ursus cf. arctos L. aves. On the margins of the Hyblean Plateau two Pleistocene mammal faunal associations have been recognized which are contained in continental deposits correlated with early Middle Pleistocene and late Middle Pleistocene-Late Pleistocene terraced marine deposits, respectively. Both faunal associations are preserved in the fissure-filling deposits of the central carbonatic Ragusa platform. The Pleistocene mammal remains from Contrada Cimillà belong to the younger faunal association of the Hyblean Plateau. The infillings of a karstic cavity near by the Pleistocene mammal-bearing cavity at Contrada Cimillà has yielded remains of not endemic mammals (Canis sp., Erinaceus europaeus L.) as well as Neolithic artifacts.
•Historical deer abundance limits cedar sapling recruitment at the landscape scale.•Proximity to deer overwintering areas limits sapling recruitment.•Accurate browsing and regeneration data are ...needed in national forest surveys.•This would help forest managers to limit browsing-induced regeneration failures.
By selectively feeding on the new vegetation from forest regeneration, cervids influence the abundance of understory species. This can lead to recruitment failure for the consumed species. The impact of cervids on regeneration is generally studied at fine scales, making it difficult to generalize about the species distribution scale for co-occurring cervid and tree species. This is especially problematic for species such as northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.), which is susceptible to browsing and has been declining throughout much of its range. In our study, we aimed to determine the effect of the spatio-temporal variations in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman) abundance on northern white cedar recruitment over a broad spatial scale. We combined distinct forest and wildlife monitoring databases for two Canadian provinces, Québec and New Brunswick. We also surveyed cedar regeneration and deer browsing pressure in a subset of plots located in Québec. In both provinces, we detected a negative effect of deer abundance and deeryard proximity on the recruitment of cedar saplings. In Québec, local deer browsing pressure also had a negative effect on cedar seedling abundance. As deer browsing pressure can vary considerably over a short distance, we recommend the inclusion of browsing indicators in national forest surveys to precisely assess the impact of browsing on regeneration and recruitment. This would allow managers to identify areas that are highly vulnerable to browsing and adapt forest management accordingly to reduce browsing-induced regeneration failures.
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The presence of bacteria carrying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in wildlife is an indicator that resistant bacteria of human or livestock origin are widespread in the environment. In addition, ...it could represent an additional challenge for human health, since wild animals could act as efficient AMR reservoirs and epidemiological links between human, livestock and natural environments. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and the antibiotic resistance patterns of several bacterial species in certain wild animals in Germany, including wild boars (
), roe deer (
) and wild ducks (family Anatidae, subfamily Anatinae) and geese (family Anatidae, subfamily Anserinae). In the framework of the German National Zoonoses Monitoring Program, samples from hunted wild boars, roe deer and wild ducks and geese were collected nationwide in 2016, 2017, and 2019, respectively. Fecal samples were tested for the presence of
spp. (in wild boars and wild ducks and geese),
spp. (in roe deer and wild ducks and geese), Shiga toxin-producing
(
.)
(STEC), commensal
and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase- (ESBL) or ampicillinase class C (AmpC) beta-lactamase-producing
(in wild boars, roe deer and wild ducks and geese). In addition, the presence of methicillin-resistant
(MRSA) was investigated in nasal swabs from wild boars. Isolates obtained in the accredited regional state laboratories were submitted to the National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for confirmation, characterization and phenotypic resistance testing using broth microdilution according to CLSI. AMR was assessed according to epidemiological cut-offs provided by EUCAST.
spp. were isolated from 13 of 552 (2.4%) tested wild boar fecal samples, but absent in all 101 samples from wild ducks and geese. Nine of the 11 isolates that were submitted to the NRL Salmonella were susceptible to all tested antimicrobial substances.
spp. were isolated from four out of 504 (0.8%) roe deer fecal samples, but not from any of the samples from wild ducks and geese. Of the two isolates received in the NRL
, neither showed resistance to any of the substances tested. From roe deer, 40.2% of the fecal samples (144 of 358) yielded STEC compared to 6.9% (37 of 536) from wild boars. In wild ducks and geese, no STEC isolates were found. Of 150 STEC isolates received in the NRL (24 from wild boars and 126 from roe deer), only one from each animal species showed resistance. Of the 219 isolates of commensal
from wild boars tested for AMR, 210 were susceptible to all 14 tested substances (95.9%). In roe deer this proportion was even higher (263 of 269, 97.8%), whereas in wild ducks and geese this proportion was lower (41 of 49, 83.7%). Nevertheless, selective isolation of ESBL-/AmpC-producing
yielded 6.5% (36 of 551) positive samples from wild boars, 2.3% (13 of 573) from roe deer and 9.8% (10 of 102) from wild ducks and geese. Among the 25 confirmed ESBL-/AmpC-producing isolates from wild boars, 14 (56.0%) showed resistance up to five classes of substances. This proportion was lower in roe deer (3 of 12, 25%) and higher in wild ducks and geese (7 of 10, 70%). None of the 577 nasal swabs from wild boars yielded MRSA. Results indicate that overall, the prevalence of resistant bacteria from certain wild animals in Germany is low, which may reflect not only the low level of exposure to antimicrobials but also the low level of resistant bacteria in the areas where these animals live and feed. However, despite this low prevalence, the patterns observed in bacteria from the wild animals included in this study are an indicator for specific resistance traits in the environment, including those to highest priority substances such as 3rd generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and colistin. Therefore, also continuous monitoring of the occurrence of such bacteria in wildlife by selective isolation is advisable. Furthermore, the possible role of wildlife as reservoir and disperser of resistant bacteria would need to be assessed, as wild animals, and in particular wild ducks and geese could become spreaders of resistant bacteria given their capacity for long-range movements.
The objective of this study was to evaluate risks related to introduction of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) to farmed cervid herds in Minnesota (MN), Pennsylvania (PA), and Wisconsin (WI). This was ...the first study to evaluate risk factors related to multiple pathways of CWD transmission to farmed cervid herds. Participating herds in this case-control study included 22 case and 49 control herds identified through participation in the respective mandatory State CWD herd program. Data was voluntarily collected from white-tailed deer (WTD) study herds using a questionnaire and state animal health agency databases. Univariable analyses identified associations between CWD-positive herds and variables representing different transmission pathways, including direct contact with infected farmed cervids (imported from a herd that later tested positive for CWD) odds ratio (OR):7.16, 95 % confidence intervals (CI):1.64–31.21 and indirect contact with infected wild cervids (access of domestic cats to pens or feed storage area) OR:4.07, 95 % CI:1.35–12.26, observed evidence of mammalian scavengers inside or outside of fenceline in the previous 12 months OR:6.55, 95 % CI:1.37–31.32, ≤ 5 km distance to nearest detected CWD-positive wild cervid OR:3.08, 95 % CI:1.01–9.39, forested area crosses the perimeter fenceline OR:3.54, 95 % CI:1.13–11.11, ≤ 0.3 m distance of water source to fenceline OR:4.71, 95 % CI:1.60–13.83, and water source shared with wild cervids (running or standing water) OR:4.17, 95 % CI:1.34–12.92. Three variables from univariable analyses that represented different biological transmission pathways were placed in a Firth’s penalized maximum likelihood multivariable logistic regression to evaluate associations between transmission pathway and CWD herd infection status. For the issue of low sample size and overfitting, 95 % CIs for estimated coefficients for the three variables were computed via bootstrapping of 10,000 independent bootstrap samples. The three biological variables were significantly associated with herd CWD infection status: imported cervids from a herd that later tested positive for CWD (OR:5.63; 95 % CI:1.1–28.2), ≤ 0.3 m distance of cervid water source to perimeter fenceline (OR:4.83; 95 % CI:1.5–16.1), and ≤ 5 km distance to nearest detected CWD-positive wild cervid (OR:4.10; 95 % CI:1.1–15.2). The risk factors associated with CWD herd status identified in this study indicated the importance of transmission through direct contact pathways with infected cervid herds (introduction of cervids from herds later identified as CWD-infected) and indirect contact pathways with infected wild cervids that could be related to other animals through the perimeter fence. Further studies are needed to confirm and clarify understanding of indirect pathways to allow development of improved biosecurity practices to prevent CWD introduction to cervid herds.
•Results identified multiple variables were associated with different transmission pathways of CWD to white-tailed deer herds.•A variable classed as indirect contact with farmed cervids was cervid introductions from herds later identified as positive.•Key variables classed as indirect contact with infected wild cervids were related to wild animal interactions near fenceline.
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•The P22 ELISA had better specificity than the M. bovis derived purified protein derivative (bPPD) ELISA.•The P22 ELISA had similar sensitivity to bPPD ELISA.•P22 can be used for TB sero-diagnosis in ...cervids for further prevention and control programs.
Red deer (Cervus elaphus) farming is a growing economic activity worldwide. However, the capacity of this species to act as reservoir of animal tuberculosis (TB) poses a threat to other wildlife and to livestock. Diagnostic assay accuracy in this species is therefore highly relevant for prevention and control measures. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the protein complex P22, obtained from Mycobacterium bovis derived purified protein derivative (bPPD), as a candidate antigen for the detection of antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). We assessed the performance of this new antigen in indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in TB-positive and TB-negative red deer, in comparison with a bPPD-based ELISA.
The P22 ELISA achieved a higher specificity (Sp) and similar sensitivity (Se) in comparison with the bPPD ELISA at all the cut-off points considered. The P22 ELISA yielded optimal Sp (99.02%; 95% confidence intervals CI95%: 96.5–99.8) and appropriate Se (70.1%; CI95%: 63.6–76) at the selected cut-off point of 100%. These results suggest that P22 can be used as an alternative antigen in the immunodiagnosis of animal TB through the use of an ELISA-type detection of antibodies against MTC in red deer, thus contributing to the diagnosis of animal TB in this species as a measure for further disease prevention and control programs.
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•Retouching is a widely shared behaviour among Middle Palaeolithic humans.•De Nadale Cave was occupied only by Quina Neanderthals in Italy.•More than 300 bone retouchers were obtained from cervid and ...bovid limb bones.•Double retouchers were made using ungulates’ radii.•Retouching activity at De Nadale relates to the lithic tool set.
Bone retouchers are present in the human toolkit throughout the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic and appear in many contexts across Europe, sometimes in association with heavily retouched stone tools. Here we present the complete assemblage of bone retouchers recovered in the Mousterian Quina site of De Nadale Cave in the north of Italy dated to the onset of MIS 4. The results show that this assemblage is consistent – both in morphological and technological features - with bone retouchers recovered in the rest of Europe. The predominance of cervid and bovid limb bones is observed, and the study of the retouch-induced stigmata reveals intense modification of the lithic industry carried out on-site. This analysis contributes to our understanding of Neanderthal cultural and economic choices in the Quina complex in Europe.
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We developed a PCR assay for the detection of Babesia odocoilei based on the 18S rRNA gene. Multiple specimens of B. odocoilei were examined, and the assay consistently produced a small specific PCR ...product of 306 bp. The PCR assay was also challenged with DNA from 13 other Babesia species and 2 Theileria species, originating from 10 different host species; however, nonspecific DNA amplification and multiple banding patterns were observed, and the amplicon banding patterns varied between different isolates of the same species. Sensitivity was determined to be 6.4 pg of DNA, and an estimated 0.0001% parasitism. This assay can be utilized for species-specific differential detection of B. odocoilei.
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•Mitochondrial cox1 has been established as a novel genetic marker for Sarcocystis spp.•Partial cox1 sequences were obtained from 155 isolates of 22 Sarcocystis spp. from six ...hosts.•Phylogenetic tree topology with cox1 sequences is similar to that with ssrRNA gene sequences.•Cox1 is superior to the ssrRNA gene for species identification and delimitation of Sarcocystis spp.
Coccidian parasites in the genus Sarcocystis have a two-host life cycle, and have traditionally been identified on the basis of morphological features of the sarcocyst stage in their intermediate hosts. Additional molecular species identification, delimitation and phylogeny of Sarcocystis spp. have been based mainly on the nuclear ssrRNA gene. This gene is well suited for discrimination between more distant species but less so for closely related species. The objective of this study was therefore to establish the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (cox1) as a novel genetic marker for Sarcocystis spp. and assess its utility for species identification and delimitation. New primers were developed and 1,020–1,095bp long cox1 sequences were obtained from 155 isolates of 22 Sarcocystis spp. from cattle, sheep, red deer, reindeer, roe deer and moose, and used for phylogenetic reconstructions. For 18 species, the intraspecific and interspecific sequence identities were 98.5–100% and 58–92%, respectively. The four other species had previously been regarded as two species (Sarcocystis rangiferi, Sarcocystis tarandi), each infecting both reindeer and red deer. From cox1 data, each of those appeared to be two separate species, with S. rangiferi and S. tarandi being restricted to reindeer. Thus, cox1 sequences seem to perform better than ssrRNA gene sequences for delimitation of closely related species. The 22 species were distributed in three major clades according to their definitive hosts as in phylogenetic trees obtained from the ssrRNA gene. There were only minor differences in the branching order of different taxa between the trees obtained from either gene. This study has successfully established cox1 as a novel genetic marker for future research on Sarcocystis spp. It has also provided the first published molecular identification of Sarcocystis gigantea and Sarcocystis tenella in Norwegian sheep, and of Sarcocystis hirsuta and Sarcocystis sinensis in Argentinean cattle.
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