SARS-CoV-2 wildlife surveillance in Ontario and Québec
JE Greenhorn, JD Kotwa, J Bowman, L Bruce, T Buchanan, PA Buck, CM Davy, A Dibernardo, L Flockhart, M Gagnier, A Hou, CM Jardine, S Lair, LR Lindsay, A Massé, PK Muchaal, LA Nituch, A Sotto, B Stevens, L Yip, S Mubareka
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, is capable of infecting a variety of wildlife species. Wildlife living in close contact with humans are at an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and, if infected, have the potential to become a reservoir for the pathogen, making control and management more difficult. The objective of this study is to conduct SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in urban wildlife from Ontario and Québec, increasing our knowledge of the epidemiology of the virus and our chances of detecting spillover from humans into wildlife. Methods: ) were also tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies. Results: No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 viral ribonucleic acid or neutralizing antibodies was detected in any of the tested samples. Conclusion: Although we were unable to identify positive SARS-CoV-2 cases in wildlife, continued research and surveillance activities are critical to better understand the rapidly changing landscape of susceptible animal species. Collaboration between academic, public and animal health sectors should include experts from relevant fields to build coordinated surveillance and response capacity.