Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risk factors for COVID-19 infection in cats and dogs
By Bienzle, Dorothee et al.·Published in Emerging infectious diseases·2022·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Risk Factors for SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Illness in Cats and Dogs.
Plain-English summary
A study found that some cats and dogs living with people who had COVID-19 tested positive for the virus. In this research, 7.7% of cats and 2% of dogs from households with COVID-19 cases had the virus detected in their swabs, while a higher percentage—41% of dogs and 52% of cats—showed signs of past infection through blood tests. Cats that slept on their owners' beds and pets that became ill were more likely to test positive. This suggests that pets can contract the virus from infected humans, so if your pet shows any unusual symptoms, it's a good idea to consult your veterinarian.
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Abstract
We tested swab specimens from pets in households in Ontario, Canada, with human COVID-19 cases by quantitative PCR for SARS-CoV-2 and surveyed pet owners for risk factors associated with infection and seropositivity. We tested serum samples for spike protein IgG and IgM in household pets and also in animals from shelters and low-cost neuter clinics. Among household pets, 2% (1/49) of swab specimens from dogs and 7.7% (5/65) from cats were PCR positive, but 41% of dog serum samples and 52% of cat serum samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 IgG or IgM. The likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity in pet samples was higher for cats but not dogs that slept on owners' beds and for dogs and cats that contracted a new illness. Seropositivity in neuter-clinic samples was 16% (35/221); in shelter samples, 9.3% (7/75). Our findings indicate a high likelihood for pets in households of humans with COVID-19 to seroconvert and become ill.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35608925/