Survey of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in Connecticut, USA reveals low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and infection with divergent betacoronaviruses.

ABSTRACT: Diverse mammalian species display susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. Potential SARS-CoV-2 spillback into rodents is understudied despite their host role for numerous zoonoses and human proximity. We assessed exposure and infection among white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in Connecticut, USA. We observed 1% (6/540) wild-type neutralizing antibody seroprevalence among 2020-2022 residential mice with no cross-neutralization of variants. We detected no SARS-CoV-2 infections via RT-qPCR, but identified non-SARS-CoV-2 betacoronavirus infections via pan-coronavirus PCR among 1% (5/468) of residential mice. Sequencing revealed two divergent betacoronaviruses, preliminarily named Peromyscus coronavirus-1 and -2. Both belong to the Betacoronavirus 1 species and are ~90% identical to the closest know

SUBMITTER: Earnest R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11721133 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature