DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 IN RESPIRATORY TRACT SAMPLES OF CATS AND DOGS

Type:
Free Communication
Topic:
Infectious Diseases
Companies:
(1) Laboklin GmbH & Co.KG, Bad Kissingen, Germany
(2) Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
(3) Klinik für kleine Haustiere, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Authors:
Michaela Gentil (1)
Julia Maria Adler (1,2)
Azza Abdelgawad (2)
Jakob Trimpert (2)
Barbara Kohn (3)
Klaus Osterrieder (2)
Elisabeth Müller (1)
Paper:
RESUMEN CORTO - SHORT SUMMARY

SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging zoonotic virus and the role of companion animals in its epidemiology is an important subject of research. Cats are highly susceptible for the virus, while dogs seem to be less permissive1,2. In this large-scale survey, more than 2000 swabs from cats (n=1684) and dogs (n=385) from Germany (cats n=1166, dogs n=293) and other European countries were tested for SARS-CoV-2 via realtime PCR, regardless of a history of respiratory disease. One asymptomatic female cat was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The cat previously lived in an apartment building with an ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. In summary, our study revealed a SARS-CoV-2 prevalence of 0.06% in cats and 0% in dogs. Therefore, the role of these companion animals in transmission of this new virus seems to be less important than previously suggested.



BIBLIOGRAFÍA

1. Shi J, Wen Z, Zhong G, et al: Susceptibility of ferrets, cats, dogs, and other domesticated animals to SARS-coronavirus 2. Science 2020; 368 (6494): 1016-1020.

2. Halfmann PJ, Hatta M, Chiba S, et al: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 13]. N Engl J Med 2020.

3. World Organisation for Animal Health. https://www.oie.int/wahis_2/public/wahid.php/Diseaseinformation/WI (accessed on 07 July 2020).

4. Newman A, Smith D, Ghai RR, et al: First reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in companion animals – New York, March-April 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020; 69 (23): 710-713.

5. Sailleau C, Dumarest M, Vanhomwegen J, et al: First detection and genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in an infected cat in France [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 5]. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020.

6. Sit THC, Brackman CJ, Ip SM, et al.: Infection of dogs with SARS-CoV-2 [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 14]. Nature 2020.

7. Zhai X, Sun J, Yan Z, et al.: Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding to ACE2 receptors from human, pets, farm animals, and putative intermediate hosts [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 13]. J Virol 2020.

8. Institut Pasteur, Paris. Protocol: Real-time RT-PCR assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/real-time-rt-pcr-assays-for-the-detection-of-sars-cov-2-institut-pasteur-paris.pdf?sfvrsn=3662fcb6_2 (accessed on 07 July 2020).

9. CDC. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/rt-pcr-panel-primer-probes.html (accessed on 07 July 2020).

10. Etievant S, Bal A, Escuret V, et al.: Performance assessment of SARS-CoV-2 PCR assays developed by WHO referral laboratories. J Clin Med 2020; 9 (6): E1871.