Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat in Switzerland with COVID-19 respiratory signs tested positive
By Klaus, Julia et al.·Published in Viruses·2021·Vetsuisse Faculty·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection and Genome Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in a Domestic Cat with Respiratory Signs in Switzerland.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A domestic cat in Switzerland showed signs of a respiratory infection, including sneezing, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Testing confirmed that this cat was infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the virus responsible for COVID-19. The cat lived in a household where humans had COVID-19, and samples taken from its nose, mouth, and fur tested positive for the virus. The other cat in the home did not show any symptoms but also had traces of the virus on its fur and bedding. This case highlights the importance of hygiene measures for pet owners who are infected with COVID-19 to prevent spreading the virus to their pets.
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Abstract
Since the emergence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in late 2019, domestic cats have been demonstrated to be susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) under natural and experimental conditions. As pet cats often live in very close contact with their owners, it is essential to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infections in cats in a One-Health context. This study reports the first SARS-CoV-2 infection in a cat in a COVID-19-affected household in Switzerland. The cat (Cat 1) demonstrated signs of an upper respiratory tract infection, including sneezing, inappetence, and apathy, while the cohabiting cat (Cat 2) remained asymptomatic. Nasal, oral, fecal, fur, and environmental swab samples were collected twice from both cats and analyzed by RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA. Both nasal swabs from Cat 1 tested positive. In addition, the first oral swab from Cat 2 and fur and bedding swabs from both cats were RT-qPCR positive. The fecal swabs tested negative. The infection of Cat 1 was confirmed by positive SARS-CoV-2 S1 receptor binding domain (RBD) antibody testing and neutralizing activity in a surrogate assay. The viral genome sequence from Cat 1, obtained by next generation sequencing, showed the closest relation to a human sequence from the B.1.1.39 lineage, with one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) difference. This study demonstrates not only SARS-CoV-2 infection of a cat from a COVID-19-affected household but also contamination of the cats' fur and bed with viral RNA. Our results are important to create awareness that SARS-CoV-2 infected people should observe hygienic measures to avoid infection and contamination of animal cohabitants.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33802899/