Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Detecting COVID-19 in cats and dogs of infected owners in Brazil
By Galhardo, Juliana Arena et al.·Published in Scientific reports·2023·College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular detection and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 in cats and dogs of positive owners during the first COVID-19 wave in Brazil.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that some cats and dogs can test positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 if their owners are infected. Out of 148 pets tested, 20% of cats and 11% of dogs had the virus. Researchers discovered that taking swabs from the throat (oropharyngeal swabs) was more effective for detecting the virus in pets than rectal swabs. This highlights the importance of keeping pets away from infected owners to prevent the virus from spreading between species.
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Abstract
Despite previous reports of SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats worldwide, the type of swab sample used for its detection through RT-qPCR needs to be better compared and described. Accordingly, as part of a multicenter study in Brazil, the aim of the present study was to assess which rectal or oropharyngeal swabs would be more appropriate for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in cats and dogs, through viral load comparison. Pets of owners diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 7 days were eligible. A total of 148 animals from four of the five Brazilian geographical regions were analyzed, among which 10/48 cats (20.83%) and 11/100 dogs (11.00%) were positive. The results suggested that oropharyngeal swabs should be considered for SARS-CoV-2 detection, particularly in cats, due to the higher cDNA viral load. Also, the genomic results showed similarities between SARS-CoV-2 animal variants and human variants that were circulating at the time of sampling, thus corroborating the existence of zooanthroponotic transmission. In conclusion, the present study highlighted the importance of SARS-CoV-2 monitoring among cats and dogs, as virus modification may indicate the possibility of mutations in animals and spillover back to owners. Thus, positive individuals should always self-isolate from their pets during COVID-19, to prevent trans-species transmission and mutation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37660200/