Animals (Dec 2020)

Pathology of Coronavirus Infections: A Review of Lesions in Animals in the One-Health Perspective

  • Valentina Zappulli,
  • Silvia Ferro,
  • Federico Bonsembiante,
  • Ginevra Brocca,
  • Alessandro Calore,
  • Laura Cavicchioli,
  • Cinzia Centelleghe,
  • Giorgia Corazzola,
  • Steffen De Vreese,
  • Maria Elena Gelain,
  • Sandro Mazzariol,
  • Valentina Moccia,
  • Nicolò Rensi,
  • Alessandro Sammarco,
  • Filippo Torrigiani,
  • Ranieri Verin,
  • Massimo Castagnaro

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10122377
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 12
p. 2377

Abstract

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Coronaviruses (CoVs) are worldwide distributed RNA-viruses affecting several species, including humans, and causing a broad spectrum of diseases. Historically, they have not been considered a severe threat to public health until two outbreaks of COVs-related atypical human pneumonia derived from animal hosts appeared in 2002 and in 2012. The concern related to CoVs infection dramatically rose after the COVID-19 global outbreak, for which a spill-over from wild animals is also most likely. In light of this CoV zoonotic risk, and their ability to adapt to new species and dramatically spread, it appears pivotal to understand the pathophysiology and mechanisms of tissue injury of known CoVs within the “One-Health” concept. This review specifically describes all CoVs diseases in animals, schematically representing the tissue damage and summarizing the major lesions in an attempt to compare and put them in relation, also with human infections. Some information on pathogenesis and genetic diversity is also included. Investigating the lesions and distribution of CoVs can be crucial to understand and monitor the evolution of these viruses as well as of other pathogens and to further deepen the pathogenesis and transmission of this disease to help public health preventive measures and therapies.

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