Li Linmiao, Wang Xiaohu, Hua Yan, Liu Ping, Zhou Jiabin, Chen Jing, An Fuyu, Hou Fanghui, Huang Wenzhong, Chen Jinping
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
Front Microbiol. 2021 Mar 3;12:657439. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.657439. eCollection 2021.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has significantly affected international public health safety. It has been reported that the pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, could originate from bats and utilize the Malayan pangolin () as an intermediate host. To gain further insights into the coronaviruses carried by pangolins, we investigated the occurrence of (β-CoV) infections in captive Malayan pangolins in the Guangdong province of China. We detected three β-CoV-positive individuals with a positive rate of 6.98% and also detected β-CoV in two dead pangolins sampled in August 2019. The CoV carried by pangolins is a new β-CoV, which is genetically related to SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was detected in eight organs of pangolins, with the highest ACE2 mRNA levels in the kidney, suggesting that these organs could be at a risk of β-CoV infection. These results enable us to better understand the status of β-CoV carried by Malayan pangolins, while providing a theoretical basis for better pangolin protection and viral control.
2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）疫情严重影响了国际公共卫生安全。据报道，导致COVID-19的病原体严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）可能起源于蝙蝠，并以马来穿山甲（ ）作为中间宿主。为了进一步了解穿山甲携带的冠状病毒，我们调查了中国广东省圈养马来穿山甲中 （β-CoV）感染的发生情况。我们检测到3只β-CoV阳性个体，阳性率为6.98%，并且在2019年8月采集的2只死亡穿山甲中也检测到了β-CoV。穿山甲携带的冠状病毒是一种新的β-CoV，与SARS-CoV-2在基因上相关。此外，在穿山甲的8个器官中检测到血管紧张素转换酶2（ACE2）的表达，肾脏中ACE2 mRNA水平最高，表明这些器官可能有β-CoV感染的风险。这些结果使我们能够更好地了解马来穿山甲携带β-CoV的状况，同时为更好地保护穿山甲和控制病毒提供理论依据。
