Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is one of seven coronaviruses known to infect humans. Different from other concerned coronavirus and influenza viruses, SARS-CoV-2 has a higher basic reproduction number and thus transmits more efficiently among hosts. Testing animals for SARS-CoV-2 may help decipher virus reservoirs, transmission and pathogenesis. Here, we report the first detection of SARS-CoV-2 in three snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in a zoo in Kentucky in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. Sequence analysis revealed that snow leopard SARS-CoV-2 strains were non-variant B.1.2 lineage and closely correlated with human strains. One snow leopard shed SARS-CoV-2 in faeces up to 4 weeks. Based on clinical signs and viral shedding periods and levels in the three snow leopards, animal-to-animal transmission events could not be excluded. Further testing of SARS-CoV-2 in animals is needed.
Keywords: Panthera uncia; SARS-CoV-2; detection; snow leopard; viral shedding.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, detection, Viral shedding., snow leopard, Panthera uncia, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus, pandemic, Pathogenesis, viral shedding, Transmission, virus, Testing, humans, Lineage, basic reproduction number, influenza viruses, Strains, Analysis, acute respiratory syndrome, help, hosts, SARS-CoV-2 strain, reservoirs, Clinical sign, infect, event, Seven, faece, coronavirus, correlated, excluded, 【제목키워드】 clade,