SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Antwerp sewer system, Belgium

Valeria Carolina Colombo; Vincent Sluydts; Joachim Mariën; Bram Vanden Broecke; Natalie Van Houtte; Wannes Leirs; Lotte Jacobs; Arne Iserbyt; Marine Hubert; Leo Heyndrickx; Hanne Goris; Peter Delputte; Naomi De Roeck; Joris Elst; Kevin K Ariën; Herwig Leirs; Sophie Gryseels

doi:10.1111/tbed.14219

SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Antwerp sewer system, Belgium

Valeria Carolina Colombo, Vincent Sluydts, Joachim Mariën, Bram Vanden Broecke, Natalie Van Houtte, Wannes Leirs, Lotte Jacobs, Arne Iserbyt, Marine Hubert, Leo Heyndrickx, Hanne Goris, Peter Delputte, Naomi De Roeck, Joris Elst, Kevin K Ariën, Herwig Leirs, Sophie Gryseels

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Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 human-to-animal transmission can lead to the establishment of novel reservoirs and the evolution of new variants with the potential to start new outbreaks in humans. We tested Norway rats inhabiting the sewer system of Antwerp, Belgium, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 following a local COVID-19 epidemic peak. In addition, we discuss the use and interpretation of SARS-CoV-2 serological tests on non-human samples. Between November and December 2020, Norway rat oral swabs, faeces and tissues from the sewer system of Antwerp were collected to be tested by RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Serum samples were screened for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using a Luminex microsphere immunoassay (MIA). Samples considered positive were then checked for neutralizing antibodies using a conventional viral neutralization test (cVNT). The serum of 35 rats was tested by MIA showing three potentially positive sera that were later negative by cVNT. All tissue samples of 39 rats analysed tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This is the first study that evaluates SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban rats. We can conclude that the sample of rats analysed had never been infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, monitoring activities should continue due to the emergence of new variants prone to infect Muridae rodents.

Original language	English
Journal	Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
Volume	69
Issue number	5
Pages (from-to)	3016-3021
Number of pages	6
ISSN	1865-1674
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.14219
Publication status	Published - 2022

Keywords

Animals
Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
Belgium/epidemiology
COVID-19/epidemiology
Immunoglobulin G
RNA, Viral
Rats
Rodent Diseases/epidemiology
SARS-CoV-2

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2022tedi3016Final published version, 356 KBLicence: Other

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Colombo, V. C., Sluydts, V., Mariën, J., Broecke, B. V., Van Houtte, N., Leirs, W., Jacobs, L., Iserbyt, A., Hubert, M., Heyndrickx, L., Goris, H., Delputte, P., De Roeck, N., Elst, J., Ariën, K. K., Leirs, H., & Gryseels, S. (2022). SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Antwerp sewer system, Belgium. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 69(5), 3016-3021. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.14219

@article{68a768f061d142dab60a80cb21f89638,

title = "SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Antwerp sewer system, Belgium",

abstract = "SARS-CoV-2 human-to-animal transmission can lead to the establishment of novel reservoirs and the evolution of new variants with the potential to start new outbreaks in humans. We tested Norway rats inhabiting the sewer system of Antwerp, Belgium, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 following a local COVID-19 epidemic peak. In addition, we discuss the use and interpretation of SARS-CoV-2 serological tests on non-human samples. Between November and December 2020, Norway rat oral swabs, faeces and tissues from the sewer system of Antwerp were collected to be tested by RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Serum samples were screened for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using a Luminex microsphere immunoassay (MIA). Samples considered positive were then checked for neutralizing antibodies using a conventional viral neutralization test (cVNT). The serum of 35 rats was tested by MIA showing three potentially positive sera that were later negative by cVNT. All tissue samples of 39 rats analysed tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This is the first study that evaluates SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban rats. We can conclude that the sample of rats analysed had never been infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, monitoring activities should continue due to the emergence of new variants prone to infect Muridae rodents.",

keywords = "Animals, Antibodies, Neutralizing, Antibodies, Viral, Belgium/epidemiology, COVID-19/epidemiology, Immunoglobulin G, RNA, Viral, Rats, Rodent Diseases/epidemiology, SARS-CoV-2",

author = "Colombo, {Valeria Carolina} and Vincent Sluydts and Joachim Mari{\"e}n and Broecke, {Bram Vanden} and {Van Houtte}, Natalie and Wannes Leirs and Lotte Jacobs and Arne Iserbyt and Marine Hubert and Leo Heyndrickx and Hanne Goris and Peter Delputte and {De Roeck}, Naomi and Joris Elst and Ari{\"e}n, {Kevin K} and Herwig Leirs and Sophie Gryseels",

year = "2022",

doi = "10.1111/tbed.14219",

language = "English",

volume = "69",

pages = "3016--3021",

journal = "Transboundary and Emerging Diseases",

issn = "1865-1674",

publisher = "John Wiley & Sons",

number = "5",

}

Colombo, VC, Sluydts, V, Mariën, J, Broecke, BV, Van Houtte, N, Leirs, W, Jacobs, L, Iserbyt, A, Hubert, M, Heyndrickx, L, Goris, H, Delputte, P, De Roeck, N, Elst, J, Ariën, KK, Leirs, H & Gryseels, S 2022, 'SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Antwerp sewer system, Belgium', Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, vol. 69, no. 5, pp. 3016-3021. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.14219

TY - JOUR

T1 - SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Antwerp sewer system, Belgium

AU - Colombo, Valeria Carolina

AU - Sluydts, Vincent

AU - Mariën, Joachim

AU - Broecke, Bram Vanden

AU - Van Houtte, Natalie

AU - Leirs, Wannes

AU - Jacobs, Lotte

AU - Iserbyt, Arne

AU - Hubert, Marine

AU - Heyndrickx, Leo

AU - Goris, Hanne

AU - Delputte, Peter

AU - De Roeck, Naomi

AU - Elst, Joris

AU - Ariën, Kevin K

AU - Leirs, Herwig

AU - Gryseels, Sophie

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - SARS-CoV-2 human-to-animal transmission can lead to the establishment of novel reservoirs and the evolution of new variants with the potential to start new outbreaks in humans. We tested Norway rats inhabiting the sewer system of Antwerp, Belgium, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 following a local COVID-19 epidemic peak. In addition, we discuss the use and interpretation of SARS-CoV-2 serological tests on non-human samples. Between November and December 2020, Norway rat oral swabs, faeces and tissues from the sewer system of Antwerp were collected to be tested by RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Serum samples were screened for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using a Luminex microsphere immunoassay (MIA). Samples considered positive were then checked for neutralizing antibodies using a conventional viral neutralization test (cVNT). The serum of 35 rats was tested by MIA showing three potentially positive sera that were later negative by cVNT. All tissue samples of 39 rats analysed tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This is the first study that evaluates SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban rats. We can conclude that the sample of rats analysed had never been infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, monitoring activities should continue due to the emergence of new variants prone to infect Muridae rodents.

AB - SARS-CoV-2 human-to-animal transmission can lead to the establishment of novel reservoirs and the evolution of new variants with the potential to start new outbreaks in humans. We tested Norway rats inhabiting the sewer system of Antwerp, Belgium, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 following a local COVID-19 epidemic peak. In addition, we discuss the use and interpretation of SARS-CoV-2 serological tests on non-human samples. Between November and December 2020, Norway rat oral swabs, faeces and tissues from the sewer system of Antwerp were collected to be tested by RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Serum samples were screened for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using a Luminex microsphere immunoassay (MIA). Samples considered positive were then checked for neutralizing antibodies using a conventional viral neutralization test (cVNT). The serum of 35 rats was tested by MIA showing three potentially positive sera that were later negative by cVNT. All tissue samples of 39 rats analysed tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This is the first study that evaluates SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban rats. We can conclude that the sample of rats analysed had never been infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, monitoring activities should continue due to the emergence of new variants prone to infect Muridae rodents.

KW - Animals

KW - Antibodies, Neutralizing

KW - Antibodies, Viral

KW - Belgium/epidemiology

KW - COVID-19/epidemiology

KW - Immunoglobulin G

KW - RNA, Viral

KW - Rats

KW - Rodent Diseases/epidemiology

KW - SARS-CoV-2

U2 - 10.1111/tbed.14219

DO - 10.1111/tbed.14219

M3 - A1: Web of Science-article

C2 - 34224205

SN - 1865-1674

VL - 69

SP - 3016

EP - 3021

JO - Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

JF - Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

IS - 5

ER -

SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Antwerp sewer system, Belgium

Abstract

Keywords

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