Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Respiratory infections and COVID-19 testing in dogs and cats
By H. Michael et al.·Published in Journal of Small Animal Practice·2021·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Frequency of respiratory pathogens and SARS‐CoV‐2 in canine and feline samples submitted for respiratory testing in early 2020
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study of 4,616 dogs and cats tested for respiratory issues in early 2020 found that while many pets had infections from common pathogens like Mycoplasma and Bordetella, none were infected with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Specifically, 44% of dog samples and 69% of cat samples tested positive for these usual respiratory bugs. This suggests that during the early days of the pandemic, pets were more likely to suffer from typical respiratory diseases rather than COVID-19. Pet owners can feel reassured that SARS-CoV-2 infections in dogs and cats are rare.
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Abstract
Objectives The emergence of the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) has necessitated evaluation of the potential for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in dogs and cats. Using a large data set, we evaluated the frequency of SARS‐CoV‐2 and other respiratory pathogens in samples submitted for respiratory testing from mid‐February to mid‐April 2020. Materials and Methods A SARS‐CoV‐2 real‐time PCR was developed and validated. A subset of canine and feline samples submitted for respiratory pathogen panel testing to reference laboratories in Asia, Europe, and North America were also tested for SARS‐CoV‐2. The frequency of respiratory pathogens was compared for the February–April period of 2020 and 2019. Results Samples from 4616 patients were included in the study and 44% of canine and 69% of feline samples were PCR positive with Mycoplasma cynos and Bordetella bronchiseptica and Mycoplasma felis and feline calicivirus, respectively. No SARS‐CoV‐2 infections were identified. Positive results for respiratory samples were similar between years. Clinical Significance The data in this study suggest that during the emergence of the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic in early 2020, respiratory diseases in tested pet cats and dogs were caused by common veterinary pathogens and that SARS‐CoV‐2 infections in dogs and cats are rare.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/33521974