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Title: | Potential Intermediate Hosts for Coronavirus Transmission: No Evidence of Clade 2c Coronaviruses in Domestic Livestock from Ghana |
Authors: | El-Duah, Philip Sylverken, Augustina Angelina Owusu, Michael Yeboah, Richmond Lamptey, Jones Frimpong, Yaw Oppong Burimuah, Vitus Antwi, Christopher Folitse, Raphael Agbenyega, Olivia Oppong, Samuel Kingsley Adu-Sarkodie, Yaw |
Keywords: | livestock coronavirus intermediate host bats |
Issue Date: | 10-Feb-2019 |
Publisher: | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
Citation: | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
Abstract: | The emergence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), nearly
a decade ago with worldwide distribution, was believed to be of zoonotic origin from bats with
dromedary camels as intermediate hosts. There is a likelihood of other domestic livestock serving as
intermediate hosts for this virus. The presence of coronaviruses, closely related to MERS-CoV
in Ghanaian bats, presented the opportunity to test the hypothesis of transmissibility of this
virus through domestic livestock species. The possible interactions between livestock and bats
in 31 household farms were accessed by observation and interviews with farmers. Rectal swabs and
serum from cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, and swine from commercial and household farms were
tested for MERS-CoV and a Nycteris sp. bat coronavirus, previously detected in Ghana. A pan-PCR
assay to detect clade 2c viruses and recombinant immunofluorescence assay to detect anti-spike
IgG antibodies against the target viruses were used. Likely contact between livestock and bats was
determined for 13 farms (41.9%) that reported confining their livestock and also observing bats in
their homes. Livestock were left unconfined on eight farms (25.8%) that also observed bats roosting
in trees close to their homes. No viral RNA or antibodies against the two coronaviruses were detected
in any of the livestock species tested. Cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, and swine are not likely hosts of
clade 2c coronaviruses. |
Description: | This article has been published in Tropical Medicine and
Infectious Disease and is available at doi:10.3390/tropicalmed4010034 |
URI: | 10.3390/tropicalmed4010034 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/13075 |
Appears in Collections: | College of Science
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