Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dogs can catch human adenovirus 36 linked to obesity
By Chwirot, Aleksandra et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2025·Department of Pathology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dogs are a susceptible species to human adenovirus 36 infection: New insights into the host range of the virus causing infectious obesity.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 80 out of 118 dogs tested positive for antibodies against human adenovirus 36 (HAdV-D36), a virus that can contribute to obesity. The researchers discovered a link between higher antibody levels and increased triglycerides in the dogs' blood, suggesting that this virus may play a role in canine obesity. Additionally, they successfully isolated the virus from the fat tissue of 14 dogs. While this research shows that dogs can be infected with HAdV-D36, more studies are needed to understand the full impact on their health and weight.
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Abstract
The prevalence of obesity within the human population is escalating globally yearly. Obesity constitutes a complex ailment with diverse etiological factors. Recently, the infectious side of obesity aetiology, implicating pathogens such as human adenovirus 36 (HAdV-D36), has gained attention. Research indicates that HAdV-D36 can infect humans and various animal species, including mice, monkeys, and chickens, inducing obesity in the animals. The present study aimed to confirm whether companion animals, like dogs, can also host HAdV-D36 and which biochemical markers can be helpful to indicate its presence. The blood of 118 canine subjects was analysed using serological techniques for determining the presence of antibodies and screened for biochemical parameters like leptin, cholesterol, and triglycerides. The presence of anti-HAdV-D36 antibodies was confirmed in 80 of the 118 tested individuals. The investigation of the relationship between antibody levels and the concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, and leptin in blood serum revealed a positive correlation between antibody titers and triglyceride levels in the tested samples. Furthermore, utilizing cell cultures facilitated successful isolation of HAdV-D36 from the adipose tissue of 14 dogs under investigation. Our study adds to general knowledge of the range of hosts susceptible to the pathogen in question and highlights the discrepancies in the virus mechanisms found in the existing literature. Given the diverse host range of the virus, which extends to companion animals, a zoonotic potential cannot be ruled out, which, however, requires further extensive research.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39823713/