Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog in Spain shows mild symptoms with first Delta COVID variant
By Fernández-Bastit, Leira et al.·Published in Viruses·2021·Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentà, Spain·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: First Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) Variant of Concern in a Dog with Clinical Signs in Spain.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog in Spain showed mild digestive and breathing problems after living with family members who had COVID-19. Testing revealed that the dog was infected with the Delta variant of the virus, which was common during a recent surge in cases. After three weeks, the dog developed antibodies that could fight off various strains of the virus. This case highlights that dogs can get infected with COVID-19, although it seems to be rare and usually mild.
People also search for: dog COVID symptoms · dog respiratory problems · Delta variant in pets · dog digestive issues after COVID exposure · how to protect pets from COVID-19
Abstract
Several cases of naturally infected dogs with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been reported despite the apparently low susceptibility of this species. Here, we document the first reported case of infection caused by the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant of concern (VOC) in a dog in Spain that lived with several household members suffering from Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The animal displayed mild digestive and respiratory clinical signs and had a low viral load in the oropharyngeal swab collected at the first sampling. Whole-genome sequencing indicated infection with the Delta variant, coinciding with the predominant variant during the fifth pandemic wave in Spain. The dog seroconverted, as detected 21 days after the first sampling, and developed neutralizing antibodies that cross-neutralized different SARS-CoV-2 variants. This study further emphasizes the importance of studying the susceptibility of animal species to different VOCs and their potential role as reservoirs in the context of COVID-19.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34960795/