# Cross-species transmission alert: a novel canine-raccoon dog coronavirus infecting an Amur Tiger in China

## TL;DR

A canine coronavirus was found in an Amur tiger in China, showing it can infect big cats and expand its host range.

## Contribution

This study reports the first molecular evidence of canine coronavirus infection in an Amur tiger.

## Key findings

- Canine coronavirus RNA was detected in a captive Amur tiger using metagenomic sequencing.
- The virus clustered with known canine coronavirus lineages and showed recombination with other carnivore coronaviruses.
- The findings suggest Amur tigers are susceptible to canine coronavirus infection.

## Abstract

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 analyses 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 the 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.