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Total virome characterizations of game animals in China reveals a spectrum of emerging viral pathogens

Wan-Ting He, Xin Hou, Jin Zhao, Jiumeng Sun, Haijian He, Wei Si, Jing Wang, Zhiwen Jiang, Ziqing Yan, Gang Xing, Meng Lu, Marc A. Suchard, Xiang Ji, Wenjie Gong, Biao He, Jun Li, Philippe Lemey, Deyin Guo, Changchun Tu, Edward C. Holmes, Mang Shi, Shuo Su
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.10.467646
Wan-Ting He
1Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Institute of Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Xin Hou
2The Centre for Infection and Immunity Studies, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Jin Zhao
1Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Institute of Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Jiumeng Sun
1Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Institute of Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Haijian He
7Agricultural College, Jinhua Polytechnic, Jinhua, China
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Wei Si
4MOA Key Laboratory of Animal Virology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Jing Wang
2The Centre for Infection and Immunity Studies, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Zhiwen Jiang
1Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Institute of Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Ziqing Yan
1Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Institute of Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Gang Xing
4MOA Key Laboratory of Animal Virology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Meng Lu
1Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Institute of Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Marc A. Suchard
5Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, and Departments of Biomathematics and Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, the United States
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Xiang Ji
5Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, and Departments of Biomathematics and Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, the United States
6Department of Mathematics, School of Science & Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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Wenjie Gong
3Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
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Biao He
3Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
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Jun Li
8Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Philippe Lemey
9Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Deyin Guo
2The Centre for Infection and Immunity Studies, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Changchun Tu
3Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
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Edward C. Holmes
10Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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  • For correspondence: shuosu@njau.edu.cn shim23@mail.sysu.edu.cn edward.holmes@sydney.edu.au
Mang Shi
2The Centre for Infection and Immunity Studies, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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  • For correspondence: shuosu@njau.edu.cn shim23@mail.sysu.edu.cn edward.holmes@sydney.edu.au
Shuo Su
1Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Animal Immunology, Institute of Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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  • For correspondence: shuosu@njau.edu.cn shim23@mail.sysu.edu.cn edward.holmes@sydney.edu.au
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Abstract

Game animals are wildlife species often traded and consumed as exotic food, and are potential reservoirs for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. We performed a meta-transcriptomic analysis of 1725 game animals, representing 16 species and five mammalian orders, sampled across China. From this we identified 71 mammalian viruses, with 45 described for the first time. Eighteen viruses were considered as potentially high risk to humans and domestic animals. Civets (Paguma larvata) carried the highest number of potentially high risk viruses. We identified the transmission of Bat coronavirus HKU8 from a bat to a civet, as well as cross-species jumps of coronaviruses from bats to hedgehogs and from birds to porcupines. We similarly identified avian Influenza A virus H9N2 in civets and Asian badgers, with the latter displaying respiratory symptoms, as well as cases of likely human-to-wildlife virus transmission. These data highlight the importance of game animals as potential drivers of disease emergence.

Highlights

  • 1725 game animals from five mammalian orders were surveyed for viruses

  • 71 mammalian viruses were discovered, 18 with a potential risk to humans

  • Civets harbored the highest number of potential ‘high risk’ viruses

  • A species jump of an alphacoronavirus from bats to a civet was identified

  • H9N2 influenza virus was detected in a civet and an Asian badger

  • Humans viruses were also identified in game animals

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
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Posted November 12, 2021.
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Total virome characterizations of game animals in China reveals a spectrum of emerging viral pathogens
Wan-Ting He, Xin Hou, Jin Zhao, Jiumeng Sun, Haijian He, Wei Si, Jing Wang, Zhiwen Jiang, Ziqing Yan, Gang Xing, Meng Lu, Marc A. Suchard, Xiang Ji, Wenjie Gong, Biao He, Jun Li, Philippe Lemey, Deyin Guo, Changchun Tu, Edward C. Holmes, Mang Shi, Shuo Su
bioRxiv 2021.11.10.467646; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.10.467646
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Total virome characterizations of game animals in China reveals a spectrum of emerging viral pathogens
Wan-Ting He, Xin Hou, Jin Zhao, Jiumeng Sun, Haijian He, Wei Si, Jing Wang, Zhiwen Jiang, Ziqing Yan, Gang Xing, Meng Lu, Marc A. Suchard, Xiang Ji, Wenjie Gong, Biao He, Jun Li, Philippe Lemey, Deyin Guo, Changchun Tu, Edward C. Holmes, Mang Shi, Shuo Su
bioRxiv 2021.11.10.467646; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.10.467646

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