Title
Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Related Coronaviruses Circulating in Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) Confiscated From the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Viet Nam
Language
English
Description (en)
Abstract: Despite the discovery of several closely related viruses in bats, the direct evolutionary progenitor of SARS-CoV-2 has not yet been identified. In this study, we investigated potential animal sources of SARS-related coronaviruses using archived specimens from Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) and Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade, and from common palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) raised on wildlife farms in Viet Nam. A total of 696 pangolin and civet specimens were screened for the presence of viral RNA from five zoonotic viral families and from Sarbecoviruses using primers specifically designed for pangolin coronaviruses. We also performed a curated data collection of media reports of wildlife confiscation events involving pangolins in Viet Nam between January 2016 and December 2020, to illustrate the global pangolin supply chain in the context of Viet Nam where the trade confiscated pangolins were sampled for this study. All specimens from pangolins and civets sampled along the wildlife supply chains between February 2017 and July 2018, in Viet Nam and tested with conventional PCR assays designed to detect flavivirus, paramyxovirus, filovirus, coronavirus, and orthomyxovirus RNA were negative. Civet samples were also negative for Sarbecoviruses, but 12 specimens from seven live pangolins confiscated in Hung Yen province, northern Viet Nam, in 2018 were positive for Sarbecoviruses. Our phylogenetic trees based on two fragments of the RdRp gene revealed that the Sarbecoviruses identified in these pangolins were closely related to pangolin coronaviruses detected in pangolins confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, China. Our curated data collection of media reports of wildlife confiscation events involving pangolins in Viet Nam between January 2016 and December 2020, reflected what is known about pangolin trafficking globally. Pangolins confiscated in Viet Nam were largely in transit, moving toward downstream consumers in China. Confiscations included pangolin scales sourced originally from Africa (and African species of pangolins), or pangolin carcasses and live pangolins native to Southeast Asia (predominately the Sunda pangolin) sourced from neighboring range countries and moving through Viet Nam toward provinces bordering China.
Keywords (en)
Coronavirus, Pangolin, SARS-CoV-2, One Health, Wildlife trade, Trafficking, EID, Spillover
DOI
10.3389/fpubh.2022.826116
Author of the digital object
Nguyen Thi Thanh  Nga  (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Amanda E.  Fine  (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Sarah H.  Olson  (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Chris  Walzer  (University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna / Wildlife Conservation Society)
Scott I.  Roberton  (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Jonna A. K.  Mazet  (University of California)
Christine K.  Johnson  (University of California)
Nguyen Thi  Hoa  (Viet Nam National University of Agriculture)
Nguyen Thi  Lan  (Viet Nam National University of Agriculture)
Le Tin Vinh  Quang  (Regional Animal Health Office No. 6)
Vo Van  Hung  (Regional Animal Health Office No. 6)
Nguyen Thanh  Phuong  (Regional Animal Health Office No. 6)
Pham Thanh  Long  (Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development of Viet Nam)
Lam Kim  Hai  (Save Vietnam's Wildlife)
Hoang Van  Thai  (Cuc Phuong National Park)
Tran Quang  Phuong  (Cuc Phuong National Park)
Nguyen Van  Thai  (Save Vietnam's Wildlife)
Nguyen Thi Lan  Anh  (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Pham Thi Bich  Ngoc  (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Nguyen Van  Long  (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Alice  Latinne  (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Hoang Bich  Thuy  (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Format
application/pdf
Size
3.1 MB
Licence Selected
CC BY 4.0 International
Type of publication
Article
Name of Publication (en)
Frontiers in Public Health
Pages or Volume
17
Volume
10
Publisher
Frontiers Media Sa
Publication Date
2022
Content
Details
Object type
PDFDocument
Format
application/pdf
Created
24.07.2023 01:32:40
This object is in collection
Metadata
Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien (Vetmeduni) | Veterinärplatz 1 | 1210 Wien - Österreich | T +43 1 25077-0 | Web: vetmeduni.ac.at