Dataset Information

New SARS-CoV-2 Infection Detected in an Italian Pet Cat by RT-qPCR from Deep Pharyngeal Swab.

ABSTRACT: The pandemic respiratory disease COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan in December 2019 and then spread throughout the world; Italy was the most affected European country. Despite close pet-human contact, little is known about the predisposition of pets to SARS-CoV-2. Among these, felines are the most susceptible. In this study, a domestic cat with clear clinical signs of pneumonia, confirmed by Rx imaging, was found to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 using quantitative RT-qPCR from a nasal swab. This is the first Italian study responding to the request of the scientific community to focus attention on the possible role of pets as a viral reservoir. An important question remains unanswered: did the cat actually die due to SARS-CoV-2 infection?

SUBMITTER: Musso N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7559392 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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New SARS-CoV-2 Infection Detected in an Italian Pet Cat by RT-qPCR from Deep Pharyngeal Swab.

Musso Nicolò N Costantino Angelita A La Spina Sebastiano S Finocchiaro Alessandra A Andronico Francesca F Stracquadanio Stefano S Liotta Luigi L Visalli Rosanna R Emmanuele Giovanni G

Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) 20200911 9

The pandemic respiratory disease COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan in December 2019 and then spread throughout the world; Italy was the most affected European country. Despite close pet-human contact, little is known about the predisposition of pets to SARS-CoV-2. Among these, felines are the most susceptible. In this study, a domestic cat with clear clinical signs of pneumonia, confirmed by Rx imaging, was found to be infected by ...[more]

PMID: 32932800

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Project description:BackgroundNasopharyngeal swab (NPS) remains the recommended sample type for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnosis. However, the collection procedure causes discomfort and irritation to the patients, lowering the quality of the sample and exposing healthcare workers to risk. Furthermore, there is also a shortage of flocked swabs and personnel protective equipment in low-income settings. Therefore, this necessitates an alternative diagnostic specimen. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of saliva against NPS for SARS-CoV-2 detection using RT-qPCR among COVID-19 suspected patients at Jigjiga, Eastern Ethiopia.MethodsComparative cross-sectional study was conducted from June 28 to July 30, 2022. A total of 227 paired saliva and NPS samples were collected from 227 COVID-19 suspected patients. Saliva and NPS samples were collected and transported to the Somali Regional Molecular Laboratory. Extraction was conducted using DaAn kit (DaAn Gene Co., Ltd China). Veri-Q RT-qPCR was used for amplification and detection (Mico BioMed Co, Ltd, Republic of Korea). The data were entered into Epi-data version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS 25. McNemar's test was used to compare the detection rate. Agreement between NPS and saliva was performed using Cohen's Kappa. The mean and median of cycle threshold values were compared using paired t-tests and the correlation between cycle threshold values was measured using Pearson correlation coefficient. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe overall positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was 22.5% (95% CI 17-28%). Saliva showed higher sensitivity (83.8%, 95% CI, 73-94.5%) than NPS (68.9%, 95% CI 60.8-76.8%). The specificity of saliva was 92.6% (95% CI, 80.6% - 100%) compared to NPS (96.7%, 95% CI, 87% - 100%). The positive, negative, and overall percent agreement between NPS and saliva was 83.8%, 92.6%, and 91.2% respectively (κ = 0.703, 95% CI 0.58-0.825, P = 0.00). The concordance rate between the two samples was 60.8%. NPS showed a higher viral load than saliva. There was low positive correlation between the cycle threshold values of the two samples (r = 0.41, 95% CI -1.69 to -0.98, P >0.05).ConclusionSaliva showed a higher detection rate for SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis than NPS and there was significant agreement between the two specimens. Therefore, saliva could be suitable and easily obtainable alternative diagnostic specimen for SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis.

Project description:BackgroundOver recent years, pet owners have started to demonstrate increased sensitivity toward their companion animals, which includes an increase in the attention paid towards their nutrition, seen as a way of safeguarding their pets' welfare. The aim of this study was to identify how pet food quality traits are perceived as being the most important by dog and cat owners. To this end, a survey of dog and cat owners was conducted by means of a questionnaire distributed in pet stores and trade fairs throughout Italy.ResultsA total of 935 surveys were collected; 61.8% of which were compiled by female pet owners. The respondents were relatively homogeneously distributed between cat (30.8%), dog (39.4%), and cat and dog (29.8%) owners. A quarter of the owners (25.5%) reported to have asked their veterinarian for advice on which pet food to buy, and almost a third (30.4%) trusted the advice posted on the web sites of well-known brands. "Contains natural ingredients" was the characteristic that obtained the highest mean score (4.3 out of 5). Elderly owners (> 65 years) placed most importance on whether a product had a high price, and least on feed appearance, animal satisfaction, and stool quality. Young owners (< 35y) paid most attention to the stool quality, the percentage of protein in the feed, and the presence of recyclable packaging, and least attention to feed appearance, smell, and animal satisfaction. Feed appearance, smell, a higher cost, and certain label indications (protein content, presence of fresh meat, grain free) were mostly important among the buyers of wet pet food. Some specific differences also emerged between dog, cat, and dog and cat owners.ConclusionsIn this survey of Italian pet food buyers, the presence of "natural" ingredients was considered to be the most important indicator of pet food quality, whereas characterized by a high price was considered least important. The data obtained from this survey could be used to help pet food companies identify which pet food quality traits are perceived as important by dog and cat owners.

Dataset Information

New SARS-CoV-2 Infection Detected in an Italian Pet Cat by RT-qPCR from Deep Pharyngeal Swab.

Publications

New SARS-CoV-2 Infection Detected in an Italian Pet Cat by RT-qPCR from Deep Pharyngeal Swab.

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