Farmed fur animals harbour viruses with zoonotic spillover potential

Jin Zhao, Wenbo Wan, Kang Yu, Philippe Lemey, John H.-O. Pettersson, Yuhai Bi, Meng Lu, Xinxin Li, Zhuohang Chen, Mengdi Zheng, Ge Yan, JianJun Dai, Yuxing Li, Ayidana Haerheng, Na He, Changchun Tu, Marc A. Suchard, Edward C. Holmes, Wan-Ting He () and Shuo Su ()
Additional contact information
Jin Zhao: Fudan University
Wenbo Wan: Fudan University
Kang Yu: Fudan University
Philippe Lemey: KU Leuven
John H.-O. Pettersson: University of Uppsala
Yuhai Bi: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Meng Lu: Fudan University
Xinxin Li: Nanjing Agricultural University
Zhuohang Chen: Fudan University
Mengdi Zheng: Nanjing Agricultural University
Ge Yan: China Pharmaceutical University
JianJun Dai: China Pharmaceutical University
Yuxing Li: Fudan University
Ayidana Haerheng: Fudan University
Na He: Fudan University
Changchun Tu: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Marc A. Suchard: University of California, Los Angeles
Edward C. Holmes: The University of Sydney
Wan-Ting He: China Pharmaceutical University
Shuo Su: Fudan University

Nature, 2024, vol. 634, issue 8032, 228-233

Abstract: Abstract Animals such as raccoon dogs, mink and muskrats are farmed for fur and are sometimes used as food or medicinal products1,2, yet they are also potential reservoirs of emerging pathogens3. Here we performed single-sample metatranscriptomic sequencing of internal tissues from 461 individual fur animals that were found dead due to disease. We characterized 125 virus species, including 36 that were novel and 39 at potentially high risk of cross-species transmission, including zoonotic spillover. Notably, we identified seven species of coronaviruses, expanding their known host range, and documented the cross-species transmission of a novel canine respiratory coronavirus to raccoon dogs and of bat HKU5-like coronaviruses to mink, present at a high abundance in lung tissues. Three subtypes of influenza A virus—H1N2, H5N6 and H6N2—were detected in the lungs of guinea pig, mink and muskrat, respectively. Multiple known zoonotic viruses, such as Japanese encephalitis virus and mammalian orthoreovirus4,5, were detected in guinea pigs. Raccoon dogs and mink carried the highest number of potentially high-risk viruses, while viruses from the Coronaviridae, Paramyxoviridae and Sedoreoviridae families commonly infected multiple hosts. These data also reveal potential virus transmission between farmed animals and wild animals, and from humans to farmed animals, indicating that fur farming represents an important transmission hub for viral zoonoses.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07901-3

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