Coronavírus bovino: sua relevância na saúde animal e pública global

Abstract

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is a member of the coronaviridae family. It is an important pathogen with high prevalence worldwide. This virus, a pneumoenteric agent, is responsible for the occurrence of three distinct clinical syndromes, described respectively as diarrhea in calves, dysentery in adult animals and respiratory tract affection in cattle of all ages. The presence of this virus in the herd causes substantial economic losses, also, in animal welfare and in the health of the herd. Thus, the objective of this work is to demonstrate the main characteristics of BCoV, as well as describe the occurrence of this agent in other species of domestic and wild ruminant animals. In addition, highlight the coronavirus as a zoonotic pathogen in the context of public health. Coronary virus in cattle is characterized by its enteropathogenic and respiratory forms, symbolized respectively by mucohemorrhagic enterocolitis in calves (EBCoV-CD), dysentery in adult animals (EBCoV-WD) and interstitial pneumonia (RBoV) mainly in calves. Although this agent is considered a specific pathogen of domestic cattle, its occurrence is also described in other species of domestic and wild ruminants, as well as in humans. At the interface between animals and humans, coronavirus is described as an infectious, zoonotic and emergent disease, this agent being described as the only member of the order Nidovirales to cause disease in humans. In this context, several species are incriminated as intermediate hosts in the transmission mechanism to humans, for example, dromedary camels in the transmission of MERS-COV. The role of cattle in the context of intermediate host or reservoir of this virus for humans is still poorly understood, such as the susceptibility and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. However, one of the enteric coronavirus strains in humans (HCoV-OC43) would have evolved from ancestral strains of the bovine coronavirus, which crossed the interspecies barrier and, consequently, established the infection in humans. Thus, we can consider the diseases caused by BCoV as important from an economic point of view, sanitary in the welfare of the herd, in addition to the importance of this agent in the zoonotic context, thus enabling risks to animal and human health.