tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
One Health
. 2024 Nov 19:19:100940.
doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100940. eCollection 2024 Dec. Genomic characterization and cross-species transmission potential of hedgehog coronavirus
Andreia V S Cruz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sérgio Santos-Silva[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Luís Queirós-Reis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Clarisse Rodrigues[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vanessa Soeiro[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Rachael E Tarlinton[SUP] 4 [/SUP], João R Mesquita[SUP] 1 5 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
In the 21st century, three betacoronaviruses (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) have emerged in humans worldwide as a result of animal spillover, causing severe respiratory infections and resulting in more than seven million deaths. In 2013, a novel Betacoronavirus closely related to MERS-CoV (Betacoronavirus cameli) was discovered in European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), raising questions on the possibility of hedgehog-to-human transmission. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate and characterize the presence and genetic diversity of coronaviruses in hedgehogs from Portugal, as well as their potential for cross-species transmission. To achieve this, fecal samples from 110 hedgehogs at two recovery centers and one environmental non-governmental organization were tested for coronaviruses using a broad-spectrum nested RT-PCR assay targeting the RdRp gene. Of these samples, 24.5 % tested positive, most belonging to the Betacoronavirus genus. However, the present study also reports, for the first time, Alphacoronaviruses in hedgehogs, showing 100 % identity with a Bat coronavirus (a variant of Alphacoronavirus miniopteri). The genome sequencing of one betacoronavirus-positive sample yielded 65 % of a full-length genome, with the closest homology (93.5 %) to Betacoronavirus erinacei from the United Kingdom. Computational protein-protein docking studies predicted the binding affinity between the spike protein of hedgehog coronavirus and cell receptors of mammal species that interact with hedgehogs. The results obtained raise the question of whether hedgehog CoV uses the same receptor as MERS-CoV or a different receptor to enter host cells. Thus, this study enhances our understanding of the epidemiology of coronaviruses, emphasizing the need for further investigation into cross-species transmission risks.
Keywords: Coronavirus; Erinaceus coronavirus; Hedgehogs; Portugal; Public health.
. 2024 Nov 19:19:100940.
doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100940. eCollection 2024 Dec. Genomic characterization and cross-species transmission potential of hedgehog coronavirus
Andreia V S Cruz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sérgio Santos-Silva[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Luís Queirós-Reis[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Clarisse Rodrigues[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vanessa Soeiro[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Rachael E Tarlinton[SUP] 4 [/SUP], João R Mesquita[SUP] 1 5 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 39650145
- PMCID: PMC11621562
- DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100940
In the 21st century, three betacoronaviruses (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) have emerged in humans worldwide as a result of animal spillover, causing severe respiratory infections and resulting in more than seven million deaths. In 2013, a novel Betacoronavirus closely related to MERS-CoV (Betacoronavirus cameli) was discovered in European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), raising questions on the possibility of hedgehog-to-human transmission. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate and characterize the presence and genetic diversity of coronaviruses in hedgehogs from Portugal, as well as their potential for cross-species transmission. To achieve this, fecal samples from 110 hedgehogs at two recovery centers and one environmental non-governmental organization were tested for coronaviruses using a broad-spectrum nested RT-PCR assay targeting the RdRp gene. Of these samples, 24.5 % tested positive, most belonging to the Betacoronavirus genus. However, the present study also reports, for the first time, Alphacoronaviruses in hedgehogs, showing 100 % identity with a Bat coronavirus (a variant of Alphacoronavirus miniopteri). The genome sequencing of one betacoronavirus-positive sample yielded 65 % of a full-length genome, with the closest homology (93.5 %) to Betacoronavirus erinacei from the United Kingdom. Computational protein-protein docking studies predicted the binding affinity between the spike protein of hedgehog coronavirus and cell receptors of mammal species that interact with hedgehogs. The results obtained raise the question of whether hedgehog CoV uses the same receptor as MERS-CoV or a different receptor to enter host cells. Thus, this study enhances our understanding of the epidemiology of coronaviruses, emphasizing the need for further investigation into cross-species transmission risks.
Keywords: Coronavirus; Erinaceus coronavirus; Hedgehogs; Portugal; Public health.