Rodent-associated and emerging viruses in Toronto, Ontario: assessing rodent-borne viral diversity at the human-wildlife interface

Zoonoses of public health importance, such as hantavirus, avian influenza, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), are viruses that can impact a wide range of hosts. This makes understanding how zoonoses transmit difficult and limits our ability to predict the emergence and spread of zoonoses. We need a deeper understanding of endemic viruses circulating at the interface where humans and animals interact in their shared environment to understand the complex dynamics of emerging zoonoses and to characterize their risk. This requires a One Health approach, an approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human and animal health in our shared environments. Rodents are known reservoirs for viruses, of which occasionally cross species barriers and sometimes emerge as important human viruses. This is particularly important since rodents live in close contact with humans and have a high potential for contact with humans. Understanding the viral diversity, factors associated with carriage, and characterizing these viruses can help to estimate potential risk to humans. In addition, elucidating what rodent-borne viruses are circulating can help to inform development of virus-specific diagnostics to facilitate downstream surveillance programs. However, little is known about rodent viruses in North America which represents a critical deficiency given the potential risk to humans. Therefore, I propose to investigate viral diversity in rodents at the human-wildlife interface in the City of Toronto. This work will be conducted through the following aims: 1) screen for rodent-borne viruses in pest-control derived samples and characterize detected viral genomes and 2) integrate genomic, ecological, and human population data to understand infection dynamics and viral ecology. This work will also help build diagnostic testing capacity and genomics for wildlife in the context of pandemic preparedness.