Sains Malaysiana 52(4)(2023): 1291-1302

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5204-19

Review of Coronavirus in Rats: A Potential Zoonotic Threat

(Ulasan Virus Korona pada Tikus: Suatu Potensi Ancaman Zoonosis)

SAULOL HAMID NUR-FAZILA^1,3,*, ABD RAHAMAN YASMIN^2,3, FARZEE FARANIEYZA-AFIQAH¹, ABDUL RAHMAN NAWAL-AMANI¹, SITI SURI ARSHAD¹ & NORFITRIAH MOHAMED SOHAIMI^2,3

¹Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

³Laboratory of Vaccines and Biomolecules, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 20 September 2022/Accepted: 21 March 2023

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the Coronaviridae family as a threat to public health in the emergence of a deadly zoonotic disease. Rats are the possible primary host of the infection as they are highly populated in urban areas, creating a significant epidemic risk. The tendency of coronaviruses (CoVs) to overcome species barriers and adapt to hosts typically found close to humans emphasised the need for further study on coronavirus infection. Sialodacryoadenitis virus (SDAV) and Parker’s rat coronavirus (PRC) are the most commonly isolated pathogens for coronavirus infections in the laboratory and wild rats. They are contagious and could be transmitted to susceptible rats by direct contact, fomites, or aerosol. Coronavirus genera include Alphacoronavirus and Betacoronavirus, which are restricted to bats and other mammalian hosts, while the Gammacoronavirus and Deltacoronavirus are restricted to birds. All known rat coronaviruses are members of the beta genus. Betacoronavirus are divided into five subgenera, i.e., Embecovirus, Hibecovirus, Merbecovirus, Nobecovirus, and Sarbecovirus. All rat coronaviruses are categorised as the Embecovirus subgenus. Most studies have proven that rat coronaviruses are responsible for hepatitis, enteritis, reproductive problems, and respiratory and salivary gland infections, including episcleritis, and dacryoadenitis. The scant literature data, mostly comprising publications from the last century, does not adequately explain the etiopathology of SDAV and PRC infections. This review provides an overview of the knowledge on the characteristics, transmission, clinical signs, pathology, and diagnosis of rat coronaviruses, besides better understanding their zoonotic potentials.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Parker’s rat coronavirus; rats; sialodacryoadenitis virus; zoonosis

Abstrak

Pandemik COVID-19 semasa telah menekankan kepentingan famili Coronaviridae sebagai ancaman kepada kesihatan awam dalam kemunculan penyakit zoonosis yang boleh membawa maut. Tikus adalah hos utama jangkitan yang mungkin kerana mereka mempunyai populasi yang tinggi di kawasan bandar, mewujudkan risiko wabak yang ketara. Kecenderungan koronavirus untuk mengatasi halangan spesies dan menyesuaikan diri dengan perumah yang biasanya ditemui berdekatan dengan manusia menekankan keperluan untuk kajian lanjut mengenai jangkitan koronavirus. Virus sialodacryoadenitis (SDAV) dan koronavirus tikus Parker (PRC) adalah patogen yang paling biasa dipencilkan bagi jangkitan koronavirus pada tikus makmal dan liar. Mereka berjangkit dan boleh menjangkiti tikus yang mudah terdedah melalui sentuhan langsung, fomit atau aerosol. Genus koronavirus termasuklah Alphacoronavirus dan Betacoronavirus adalah terhad kepada kelawar dan perumah mamalia lain, manakala Gammacoronavirus dan Deltacoronavirus adalah terhad kepada burung. Semua koronavirus tikus yang diketahui adalah ahli genus beta. Betacoronavirus dibahagikan kepada lima subgenus, iaitu, Embecovirus, Hibecovirus, Merbecovirus, Nobecovirus dan Sarbecovirus. Semua koronavirus tikus dikategorikan sebagai subgenus Embecovirus. Kebanyakan kajian telah membuktikan bahawa koronavirus tikus bertanggungjawab untuk radang hati, radang usus, masalah pembiakan, jangkitan saluran pernafasan dan jangkitan kelenjar air liur, termasuklah episkleritis dan dacryoadenitis. Data kepustakaan yang sedikit, yang kebanyakannya terdiri daripada penerbitan dari abad yang lalu, tidak menjelaskan dengan secukupnya etiopatologi jangkitan SDAV dan PRC. Kajian ini memberikan gambaran pengetahuan secara keseluruhan tentang ciri, penularan, tanda klinikal, patologi dan diagnosis koronavirus tikus, selain memberi pemahaman lebih baik tentang potensi zoonosis mereka.

Kata kunci: Koronavirus; koronavirus tikus Parker; tikus; virus sialodacryoadenitis; zoonosis

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^*Corresponding author; email: nurfazila@upm.edu.my