Cross-Species Transmission Alert: A Novel Canine-Raccoon Dog Coronavirus Infecting an Amur Tiger in China

Zhiqiang Han^1*Haijun wang²Xin Xin Liu¹Zhige Tian³Qing-Long Gong¹Xiuli Zhang⁴Xiao Li¹Rui Du¹Xiaoliang Hu³Chao Xu^1*

• ¹College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
• ²Jilin Province Northeast Tiger Garden, Changchun, China
• ³Yibin University, Yibin, China
• ⁴Jilin University College of Veterinary Medicine, Changchun, China

Canine coronavirus (CCoV) is an important enteric alphacoronavirus primarily affecting canids. Here, we detected canine coronavirus RNA in a captive 9-year-old Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) in China. The complete viral genome was obtained using metagenomic next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic and recombination analysis were then performed to investigate its evolutionary relationship with canine and feline coronaviruses. The identified CCoV strain clustered within established canine coronavirus lineages and showed sequence evidence of recombination involving coronavirus strains previously reported in other carnivore species. Although detection of viral RNA alone does not establish a causal relationship between CCoV infection and disease outcome, this study provides molecular evidence that Amur tigers are susceptible to canine coronavirus infection. These findings expand the known host range of CCoV and contribute to understanding the evolution and cross-species transmission potential of coronaviruses among carnivores.