Evaluating the risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission to bats in the context of wildlife research, rehabilitation, and control

作者：Jonathan D. Cook, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Jonathan M. Sleeman, Michael C. Runge · 发表于：Wildlife Society Bulletin · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.1002/wsb.1262 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：COVID-19 epidemiological studies、Zoonotic diseases and public health、Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research

Abstract Preventing wildlife disease outbreaks is a priority for natural resource agencies, and management decisions can be urgent, especially in epidemic circumstances. With the emergence of SARS‐CoV‐2, wildlife agencies were concerned whether the activities they authorize might increase the risk of viral transmission from humans to North American bats, but had a limited amount of time in which to make decisions. We describe how decision analysis provides a powerful framework to analyze and reanalyze complex natural resource management problems as knowledge evolves. Coupled with expert judgment and avenues for the rapid release of information, risk assessment can provide timely scientific information for evolving decisions. In April 2020, the first rapid risk assessment was conducted to evaluate the risk of transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 from humans to North American bats. Based on the best available information and relying heavily on expert judgment, the risk assessment found a small possibility of transmission during summer work activities. Following that assessment, additional knowledge and data emerged, such as bat viral challenge studies, that further elucidated the risks of human‐to‐bat transmission and culminated in a second risk assessment in the fall of 2020. We updated the first SARS‐CoV‐2 risk assessment with new management alternatives and new estimates of little brown bat ( Myotis lucifugus ) susceptibility, using findings from the fall 2020 assessment and other emp...