Page 21 - Eclipse - Autumn 2021
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RESEARCH NEWS
had been limited by high computing
requirements, needing the use of a
supercomputer to solve the complex Underlining mink farm
equations involved. But the innovative
methods employed here allowed the COVID-19 outbreaks and their
researchers to simulate complete
gait cycles in under half an hour importance for One Health
on a standard laptop.
Adriana V. Díaz , RVC PhD student Under supervision of
Study co-authors Drs Antoine Falisse,
postdoctoral fellow at Stanford Professor Joanne Webster and Dr Martin Walker
University, USA, and Friedl De Groote,
Professor of Human Movement he coronavirus that has swept detection of COVID-19 cases amid
Biomechanics, KU Leuven, Belgium, the World since late 2019, high background morbidity and
SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute
mortality levels in commercial units.
said of the collaborative effort on the Trespiratory coronavirus 2), is
project: “We had been developing a zoonotic agent likely originated in From April 2020 up to June 2021,
methods for rapid computer simulations bats, that affects not only humans but of the thirtysix countries known to
of human movements, by combining other vertebrate animals too. farm mink for its fur, twelve had
several new numerical techniques to COVID-19 mink outbreaks.
make our simulations more than 20 The first COVID-19 animal case As a result, at least one viral variant
times faster than previous attempts. reported to the World Organisation associated to farmed mink has both
When we were invited to see whether for Animal Health (OIE) involved a caused human COVID-19 cases and
pet dog thought to have contracted
we could apply the same methods to the virus from its infected human proved less susceptible to human
simulate gaits in extinct species, we owner at the beginning of 2020. antibody neutralisation, the so-called
were thrilled at the opportunity and Since then, multiple apparent SARS- ‘cluster 5’ Danish mink-related
jumped on board.” CoV-2 reverse zoonotic events have variant, highlighting the public health
While dinosaur animators have been reported, from cases in pet repercussions of outbreaks in mink.
Reverse zoonotic transmission of
sometimes given a little ‘wag’ to the dogs and cats to wild animals kept SARS-CoV-2 from humans to mink
tails of running dinosaurs in productions at zoos, including large cats (puma, has fuelled mink outbreaks and further
such as Jurassic Park and Walking with lion, tiger, snow leopard), gorillas and transmission back to humans has been
Dinosaurs, these tend to have motions Asian otters at an aquarium. confirmed on several occasions (Oude
opposite compared to the results Fortunately, to date, experimental Munnink et al., 2021 Science), a fact
obtained here. evaluation of susceptibility to SARS- compounded by evidence of high rates
CoV-2 has discounted most farmed of re-infection among farmed mink
As well as providing new insight into species as potential viral reservoirs (Rasmussen et al., 2021 bioRxiv), as
animal function in the distant past (OIE Technical Factsheet: Infection well as at least one documented spill-
and helping to inform more accurate with SARS-CoV-2 in animals, 2021), over event into wild mink in the US.
animation in future dinosaur movies including pigs, cattle, and poultry
and documentaries, the findings of this (chicken, ducks, and turkey); the only Despite the notoriety of the COVID-19
research are also highly relevant to exemptions being rabbits (Oryctolagus ongoing pandemic, with its far
applications in robotics. Development cuniculus) with medium susceptibility, reaching short- and long-term effects
of next-generation bio-inspired robots and notably, ferrets (Mustela putorius in human health, economics, and
has already drawn inspiration from the furo), racoon dogs (Nyctereutes society, management of SARS-CoV-2
swinging tails of running cheetahs, procyonoides) and American mink outbreaks in mink has greatly varied
between countries. Accordingly, a
and the new insights gleaned from (Neovison vison – also known as recent paper by researchers at the RVC
Coelophysis may offer further hints Mustela vison). All latter three species (in Press Diaz, Walker and Webster,
for improving economy, acceleration are highly susceptible to the virus, yet Evolutionary Applications) underlines
and maneuvering performance in American mink are intensively farmed the importance of mustelids in the
engineering and mechanics. in numerous countries. transmission and concurrent viral
The research was funded by the The conditions in which mink, a evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and argues
European Union’s Horizon 2020 solitary, semi-aquatic mustelid for a globally coordinated response to
Research and Innovation program (see carnivore, is farmed are detrimental minimise the risks of unchecked SARS-
dawndinos.com for information) and to its welfare, as well as conducive CoV-2 transmission in mink fur farms
Research Foundation Flanders. to COVID-19 transmission: high via an all-encompassing One Health
density, bare wire cages that allow strategy to tackle the current pandemic.
for animal contact and shared airflow,
constant re-seeding of the virus into
farms by staff, plus delayed initial
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