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Risk assessment of zoonotic viruses in urban-adapted wildlife

Wei, X.; Li, H.; Huang, Z. Y. X.; Li, S.; Wang, Y.; Lan, J.; Hu, L.; Li, Y.; Becker, D. J.; Wei, F.; Xu, Y.

2024-12-21 ecology
10.1101/2024.12.18.629064 bioRxiv
Show abstract

The repeated emergence of pandemic viruses underscores the linkages between land-use change and wildlife disease, and urban-adapted wildlife are of special interest due to their close proximity to humans. However, viral diversity within urban-adapted species and their zoonotic potential remains largely unexplored. We compiled a large dataset on seven priority urban-adapted mammal species and their viruses covering over 115 countries from 1574 to 2023. These urban-adapted species host 286 virus species spanning 24 orders and 38 families, 14 of which are potentially high risk for human infection. Raccoons carried the most high-risk viruses, while raccoon dogs had increased viral positivity in urban habitats compared to raccoons, wild boars, and red foxes. Many viruses in urban-adapted species were phylogenetically related to those found in humans, and we also observed evidence of possible viral spillback. These results highlight zoonotic risks associated with urban-adapted species and suggest enhanced surveillance to mitigate future outbreaks.

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