Susceptibility of Domestic Goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) to Experimental Infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.351/Beta Variant
Author
Roca, Núria
Romero-Durana, Miguel
García, Óscar
López, Carlos
Pérez, Mònica
López, Rosa
Carrillo, Jorge
Izquierdo-Useros, Nuria
Blanco, Julià
Clotet, Bonaventura
Publication date
2022-09-09ISSN
1999-4915
Abstract
A wide range of animal species are susceptible to the severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Natural and/or experimental infections have been reported in
pet, zoo, farmed and wild animals. Interestingly, some SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as B.1.1.7/Alpha,
B.1.351/Beta, and B.1.1.529/Omicron, were demonstrated to infect some animal species not susceptible to classical viral variants. The present study aimed to elucidate if goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) are
susceptible to the B.1.351/Beta variant. First, an in silico approach was used to predict the affinity
between the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351/Beta variant and
angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 from goats. Moreover, we performed an experimental inoculation
with this variant in domestic goat and showed evidence of infection. SARS-CoV-2 was detected in
nasal swabs and tissues by RT-qPCR and/or immunohistochemistry, and seroneutralisation was
confirmed via ELISA and live virus neutralisation assays. However, the viral amount and tissue
distribution suggest a low susceptibility of goats to the B.1.351/Beta variant. Therefore, although
monitoring livestock is advisable, it is unlikely that goats play a role as SARS-CoV-2 reservoir species,
and they are not useful surrogates to study SARS-CoV-2 infection in farmed animals.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
619 - Veterinary science
Pages
13
Publisher
MDPI
Is part of
Viruses
Citation
Fernández-Bastit, Leira, Núria Roca, Miguel Romero-Durana, Jordi Rodon, Guillermo Cantero, Óscar García, Carlos López, Mònica Pérez, Rosa López, Jorge Carrillo, Nuria Izquierdo-Useros, Julià Blanco, Bonaventura Clotet, Joan Pujols, Júlia Vergara-Alert, Joaquim Segalés, and Cristina Lorca-Oró. 2022. "Susceptibility Of Domestic Goat (Capra Aegagrus Hircus) To Experimental Infection With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) B.1.351/Beta Variant". Viruses 14 (9): 2002. doi:10.3390/v14092002.
Program
Sanitat Animal
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- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2555]
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