Klaus, Julia, Zini, Eric, Hartmann, Katrin, Egberink, Herman, Kipar, Anja 
ORCID: 0000-0001-7289-3459, Bergmann, Michele, Palizzotto, Carlo, Zhao, Shan, Rossi, Francesco, Franco, Vittoria et al (show 3 more authors)
(2021)
SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Dogs and Cats from Southern Germany and Northern Italy during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
VIRUSES-BASEL, 13 (8).
1453-.
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected millions of people globally since its first detection in late 2019. Besides humans, cats and, to some extent, dogs were shown to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the need for surveillance in a One Health context. Seven veterinary clinics from regions with high incidences of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were recruited during the early pandemic (March to July 2020) for the screening of patients. A total of 2257 oropharyngeal and nasal swab specimen from 877 dogs and 260 cats (including 18 animals from COVID-19-affected households and 92 animals with signs of respiratory disease) were analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA using reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) targeting the viral envelope (E) and RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) genes. One oropharyngeal swab from an Italian cat, living in a COVID-19-affected household in Piedmont, tested positive in RT-qPCR (1/260; 0.38%, 95% CI: 0.01-2.1%), and SARS-CoV-2 infection of the animal was serologically confirmed six months later. One oropharyngeal swab from a dog was potentially positive (1/877; 0.1%, 95% CI: 0.002-0.63%), but the result was not confirmed in a reference laboratory. Analyses of convenience sera from 118 animals identified one dog (1/94; 1.1%; 95% CI: 0.02-5.7%) from Lombardy, but no cats (0/24), as positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies and neutralizing activity. These findings support the hypothesis that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pet cat and dog populations, and hence, the risk of zoonotic transmission to veterinary staff, was low during the first wave of the pandemic, even in hotspot areas.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | SARS-CoV-2, surveillance, prevalence, domestic animals, RT-qPCR, serology, one health, antibody, zoonosis |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Feb 2022 14:33 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Jan 2023 21:13 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/v13081453 |
| Open Access URL: | https://doi.org/10.3390/v13081453 |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3148524 |
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