1
|
Agüero B, Berrios F, Pardo-Roa C, Ariyama N, Bennett B, Medina RA, Neira V. First detection of Omicron variant BA.4.1 lineage in dogs, Chile. Vet Q 2024; 44:1-10. [PMID: 38174799 PMCID: PMC10769545 DOI: 10.1080/01652176.2023.2298089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2's rapid global spread caused the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020. Alongside humans, domestic dogs and cats are also susceptible to infection. However, limited reports on pet infections in Chile prompted a comprehensive study to address this knowledge gap. Between March 2021 and March 2023, the study assessed 65 pets (26 dogs and 39 cats) from 33 COVID-19+ households alongside 700 nasal swabs from animals in households with unknown COVID-19 status. Using RT-PCR, nasal, fecal, and environmental samples were analyzed for the virus. In COVID-19+ households, 6.06% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, belonging to 3 dogs, indicating human-to-pet transmission. Pets from households with unknown COVID-19 status tested negative for the virus. We obtained 2 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from animals, that belonged to Omicron BA.4.1 variant, marking the first report of pets infected with this lineage globally. Phylogenetic analysis showed these sequences clustered with human sequences collected in Chile during the same period when the BA.4.1 variant was prevalent in the country. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Chilean pets was relatively low, likely due to the country's high human vaccination rate. Our study highlights the importance of upholding and strengthening human vaccination strategies to mitigate the risk of interspecies transmission. It underscores the critical role of the One Health approach in addressing emerging zoonotic diseases, calling for further research on infection dynamics and risk factors for a comprehensive understanding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- B. Agüero
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - F. Berrios
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - C. Pardo-Roa
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Nursing, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - N. Ariyama
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - B. Bennett
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - RA. Medina
- Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - V. Neira
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Selyemová D, Antolová D, Mangová B, Jarošová J, Ličková M, Havlíková SF, Sláviková M, Tarageľová VR, Derdáková M. Cats as a sentinel species for human infectious diseases - toxoplasmosis, trichinellosis, and COVID-19. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2024; 6:100196. [PMID: 39055483 PMCID: PMC11269282 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2024.100196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
In this study, serological screening for Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella spp., and SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats was conducted, aiming to identify their exposure to the mentioned pathogens and to assess the risk of potential human infection. In total, serum samples from 481 (310 owned and 171 shelter cats) were collected in Bratislava from September 2020 to September 2021, a period that included the initial outbreak wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study showed a 37.4% (135/441) seroprevalence of T. gondii with a slightly lower seropositivity in shelter cats (35.9%; 61/170) than in owned cats (38.4%; 104/271), but this difference was not statistically significant. Overall, the seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. was 2.0% (9/441), with animals from shelters being positive but not significantly more often (2.9%; 5/170) than owned cats (1.5%; 4/271). SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 2.7% (13/481) of cat sera (2.9% in shelter cats; 2.6% in owned cats). Among ten samples positive by virus neutralisation assay, two were positive for the B.1 variant. The presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in buccal and rectal swabs (n = 239) was not detected. The seroprevalence of almost 40% for T. gondii in cats suggests a non-negligible risk of human infection. The study confirmed the possibility of Trichinella spp. infection in cats, and thus the possibility of infection spreading between the sylvatic and synanthropic cycle via this animal species. The presented results also showed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is likely to circulate in cat populations in Slovakia, not only in cats that may have been in contact with infected persons, but also in shelter cats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana Selyemová
- Institute of Zoology, SAS, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniela Antolová
- Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Barbara Mangová
- Institute of Zoology, SAS, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Júlia Jarošová
- Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Martina Ličková
- Biomedical Research Center, SAS, Institute of Virology, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 845 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Sabína Fumačová Havlíková
- Biomedical Research Center, SAS, Institute of Virology, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 845 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Sláviková
- Biomedical Research Center, SAS, Institute of Virology, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 845 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Markéta Derdáková
- Institute of Zoology, SAS, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yamayoshi S, Ito M, Iwatsuki-Horimoto K, Yasuhara A, Okuda M, Hamabata T, Murakami J, Duong C, Yamamoto T, Kuroda Y, Maeda K, Kawaoka Y. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in dogs and cats during the early and mid-pandemic periods in Japan. One Health 2023; 17:100588. [PMID: 37359748 PMCID: PMC10279464 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has continued to circulate in humans since its emergence in 2019. While infection in humans continues, numerous spillover events to at least 32 animal species, including companion and zoo animals, have been reported. Since dogs and cats are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and have direct contact with their owners and other household members, it is important to know the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs and cats. Here, we established an ELISA to detect serum antibodies against the receptor-binding domain and the ectodomain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid proteins. Using this ELISA, we assessed seroprevalence in 488 dog serum samples and 355 cat serum samples that were collected during the early pandemic period (between May and June of 2020) and 312 dog serum samples and 251 cat serum samples that were collected during the mid-pandemic period (between October 2021 and January 2022). We found that two dog serum samples (0.41%) collected in 2020, one cat serum sample (0.28%) collected in 2020, and four cat serum samples (1.6%) collected in 2021 were positive for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. No dog serum samples collected in 2021 were positive for these antibodies. We conclude that the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in dogs and cats in Japan is low, suggesting that these animals are not a major SARS-CoV-2 reservoir.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seiya Yamayoshi
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center for Global Viral Infections, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Japan
| | - Mutsumi Ito
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Atsuhiro Yasuhara
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Moe Okuda
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taiki Hamabata
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jurika Murakami
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Calvin Duong
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Yamamoto
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan
| | - Yudai Kuroda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan
| | - Ken Maeda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center for Global Viral Infections, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Japan
- The University of Tokyo Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center, Japan
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sánchez-Morales L, Sánchez-Vizcaíno JM, Domínguez L, Barroso-Arévalo S. A retrospective study of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in dogs and cats in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1264172. [PMID: 37869682 PMCID: PMC10585060 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1264172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in domestic animals including cats and dogs has been described. However, it is important to carry out passive surveillance of these animals to be aware of any changes in the outcomes of the disease in these species that may occur. In this study, we have performed a retrospective study in which we analyzed sera (n = 1,640) from random animals: dogs (n = 1,381) and cats (n = 259) belonging to both homes (n = 1,533) and animal protection centers (n = 107) in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Neutralizing antibodies were evaluated between November 2021 and May 2022 using a surrogate ELISA kit to determine the seroprevalence. Based on the results obtained, a few animals (both cats and dogs) presented neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 (2.3%), all of them from private owners. However, the seroprevalence in cats (4.6%) resulted to be almost twice as much as in dogs (1.9%) which reinforces that cats' susceptibility to the infection seems higher than in the case of dogs, maybe due to the lower ACE2 expression of the dogs in the respiratory tract. These findings also confirm that the probability of infection is considerably higher in domestic animals in close contact with infected owners, compared to animals living in animal shelters whose contact with humans is markedly lower.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - José M. Sánchez-Vizcaíno
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucas Domínguez
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Barroso-Arévalo
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Pereira MA, Nóbrega C, Mateus TL, Almeida D, Oliveira A, Coelho C, Cruz R, Oliveira P, Faustino-Rocha A, Pires MJ, Mesquita JR, Vala H. An Antibody-Based Survey of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum Infection in Client-Owned Cats from Portugal. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2327. [PMID: 37508104 PMCID: PMC10376655 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are obligate intracellular protozoan parasites infecting a wide range of hosts worldwide. However, information on the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis and neosporosis in cats from Portugal is limited. Thus, this study aims to evaluate anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalence in client-owned cats from Portugal and to identify risk factors using a panel of well-characterized sera. A total of 183 domestic cats were sampled and screened for antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum using commercial ELISA assays, and their owners answered an online questionnaire designed to obtain background information. The overall anti-T. gondii and anti-N. caninum seroprevalences were 13.1% (CI: 8.97-18.77) and 3.8% (CI: 1.87-7.68), respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that living strictly indoors was a significant protection factor (cOR: 0.053; CI: 0.005-0.627), and the presence of a chronic disease a significant risk factor (cOR: 3.106; CI: 1.062-9.082) to T. gondii seroprevalence. When performing multivariate analysis, only chronic disease (aOR: 57.527; CI: 1.7-1976.7) and seropositivity to N. caninum (aOR: 7.929; CI:0.8-82.9) were found to be a significant risk factor to anti-T. gondii antibodies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of N. caninum seropositivity in cats from Portugal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Aires Pereira
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine (GHTM), Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical (IHMT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (UNL), R. da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal
- CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
| | - Carmen Nóbrega
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Teresa L Mateus
- CISAS-Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun'Àlvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS) Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- EpiUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Rua das Taipas, n° 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniela Almeida
- ICBAS-Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Andreia Oliveira
- Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de Lima, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua D. Mendo Afonso, 147 Refóios do Lima, 4990-706 Ponte de Lima, Portugal
- Hospital Veterinário de Gaia, Rua Voltinha 82, 4415-369 Pedroso, Portugal
| | - Catarina Coelho
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS) Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Rita Cruz
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- EpiUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Rua das Taipas, n° 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Oliveira
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Ana Faustino-Rocha
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Center, Department of Zootechnics, School of Sciences and Technology, University of Évora, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal
| | - Maria J Pires
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - João R Mesquita
- EpiUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Rua das Taipas, n° 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
- ICBAS-Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Helena Vala
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Michelitsch A, Allendorf V, Conraths FJ, Gethmann J, Schulz J, Wernike K, Denzin N. SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Clinical Signs in Cats and Dogs from Confirmed Positive Households in Germany. Viruses 2023; 15:v15040837. [PMID: 37112817 PMCID: PMC10144952 DOI: 10.3390/v15040837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
On a global scale, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a serious threat to the health of the human population. Not only humans can be infected, but also their companion animals. The antibody status of 115 cats and 170 dogs, originating from 177 German households known to have been SARS-CoV-2 positive, was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the results were combined with information gathered from a questionnaire that was completed by the owner(s) of the animals. The true seroprevalences of SARS-CoV-2 among cats and dogs were 42.5% (95% CI 33.5–51.9) and 56.8% (95% CI 49.1–64.4), respectively. In a multivariable logistic regression accounting for data clustered in households, for cats, the number of infected humans in the household and an above-average contact intensity turned out to be significant risk factors; contact with humans outside the household was a protective factor. For dogs, on the contrary, contact outside the household was a risk factor, and reduced contact, once the human infection was known, was a significant protective factor. No significant association was found between reported clinical signs in animals and their antibody status, and no spatial clustering of positive test results was identified.
Collapse
|
7
|
Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Bicout DJ, Calistri P, Canali E, Drewe JA, Garin‐Bastuji B, Gonzales Rojas JL, Gortázar C, Herskin M, Michel V, Miranda Chueca MÁ, Padalino B, Pasquali P, Roberts HC, Spoolder H, Velarde A, Viltrop A, Winckler C, Adlhoch C, Aznar I, Baldinelli F, Boklund A, Broglia A, Gerhards N, Mur L, Nannapaneni P, Ståhl K. SARS-CoV-2 in animals: susceptibility of animal species, risk for animal and public health, monitoring, prevention and control. EFSA J 2023; 21:e07822. [PMID: 36860662 PMCID: PMC9968901 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 in humans and animals is continually evolving. To date, animal species known to transmit SARS-CoV-2 are American mink, raccoon dog, cat, ferret, hamster, house mouse, Egyptian fruit bat, deer mouse and white-tailed deer. Among farmed animals, American mink have the highest likelihood to become infected from humans or animals and further transmit SARS-CoV-2. In the EU, 44 outbreaks were reported in 2021 in mink farms in seven MSs, while only six in 2022 in two MSs, thus representing a decreasing trend. The introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into mink farms is usually via infected humans; this can be controlled by systematically testing people entering farms and adequate biosecurity. The current most appropriate monitoring approach for mink is the outbreak confirmation based on suspicion, testing dead or clinically sick animals in case of increased mortality or positive farm personnel and the genomic surveillance of virus variants. The genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 showed mink-specific clusters with a potential to spill back into the human population. Among companion animals, cats, ferrets and hamsters are those at highest risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which most likely originates from an infected human, and which has no or very low impact on virus circulation in the human population. Among wild animals (including zoo animals), mostly carnivores, great apes and white-tailed deer have been reported to be naturally infected by SARS-CoV-2. In the EU, no cases of infected wildlife have been reported so far. Proper disposal of human waste is advised to reduce the risks of spill-over of SARS-CoV-2 to wildlife. Furthermore, contact with wildlife, especially if sick or dead, should be minimised. No specific monitoring for wildlife is recommended apart from testing hunter-harvested animals with clinical signs or found-dead. Bats should be monitored as a natural host of many coronaviruses.
Collapse
|
8
|
Human ELISA Detects anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Cats: Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Virus Spread in Domestic and Stray Cats in Bulgaria. Vet Sci 2023; 10:vetsci10010042. [PMID: 36669043 PMCID: PMC9861929 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10010042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to verify whether the human DR-ELISA for the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can be applied in cats, and to assess the risk factors that determine the spread of the virus among the cat population in Bulgaria. The study included 92 serum samples collected from 68 domestic and 24 stray cats aged from 3 months to 20 years of age in the period of January-June 2021. The samples originated from three regions in Bulgaria and from three places of inhabitance. DR-ELISA based on peroxidase-labeled SARS-CoV-2 N protein was employed to detect IgA, IgG and IgM antibodies in the samples. Subsequently, the results were compared with a commercially available multi-species ELISA kit. There was high seroprevalence (83.33%) in stray cats and 41.18% in domestic cats, confirmed by the human and veterinary ELISA kit. The positive cases in the regional cities were 42.86%, in small towns 50% and in villages 78.26%. Cats under 7 years had a five times higher risk than those over 7 years (p = 0.001). The risk was seven times higher for stray cats than for domestic cats (p = 0.001). In addition, the results indicate that the risk was the highest for cats in villages (p = 0.006) compared to cats in other places of inhabitance. This study demonstrates that human DR-ELISA may be successfully applied to monitor the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in cats and other susceptible species. Cats might serve as sentinel animals for tracking the virus in nature and in inhabited areas (strays) and to discover asymptomatic cases in humans/owners.
Collapse
|