First genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 recovered from an infected cat and its owner in Latin America.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Carlos RSA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8014608 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:There have been previous reports of the human-to-cat transmission of SARS-CoV-2, but there are only a few molecular studies that have compared the whole genome of the virus in cats and their owners. We here describe a case of domestic SARS-CoV-2 transmission from a healthcare worker to his cat for which nasopharyngeal swabs of both the cat and its owner were used for full-genome analysis. The results indicate that quarantine measures should be extended to pets living in SARS-CoV-2-infected households.
| S-EPMC7926546 | biostudies-literature
Project description:OBJECTIVE:To present the development of the first custom gene panel for the diagnosis of male and female infertility in Latin America. METHODS:We developed a next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel that assesses genes associated with infertility. The panel targeted exons and their flanking regions. Selected introns in the CFTR gene were also included. The FMR1 gene and Y chromosome microdeletions were analyzed with other recommended methodologies. An in-house developed bioinformatic pipeline was applied for the interpretation of the results. Clear infertility phenotypes, idiopathic infertility, and samples with known pathogenic variants were evaluated. RESULTS:A total of 75 genes were selected based on female (primary ovarian insufficiency, risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, recurrent pregnancy loss, oocyte maturation defects, and embryo development arrest) and male conditions (azoospermia, severe oligospermia, asthenozoospermia, and teratozoospermia). The panel designed was used to assess 25 DNA samples. Two of the variants found were classified as pathogenic and enable the diagnosis of a woman with secondary amenorrhea and a man with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Targeted NGS assay metrics resulted in a mean of 180X coverage, with more than 98% of the bases covered ?20X. CONCLUSION:Our custom gene sequencing panel designed for the diagnosis of male and female infertility caused by genetic defects revealed the underlying genetic cause of some cases of infertility. The panel will allow us to develop more precise approaches in assisted reproduction.
| S-EPMC7169920 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has rapidly spread worldwide. Studies of transmission of the virus carried out in animals have suggested that certain animals may be susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2. The aim of the present study was to investigate the infection of SARS-CoV-2 in pets (18 cats and 20 dogs) from owners previously confirmed as COVID-19-positive. Oropharyngeal and rectal swabs were taken and analyzed by real-time RT-PCR assays, while blood samples were taken for antibody detection. Of the total pets analyzed, one cat was found reactive to SARS-CoV-2 by real-time RT-PCR of an oropharyngeal and a rectal swab. This cat presented only sneezing as a clinical sign. Serological analysis confirmed the presence of antibodies in the serum sample from this cat, as well as in the serum from another cat non-reactive to real-time RT-PCR. Complete sequence and phylogenetic analysis allowed determining that the SARS-CoV-2 genome belonged to the B.1.499 lineage. This lineage has been reported in different provinces of Argentina, mainly in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires. This study notifies the first detection of the natural infection and molecular analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in a cat from Argentina whose owner where COVID-19-positive. Although there is currently no evidence that cats can spread COVID-19, results suggest that health authorities should test pets with COVID-19-positive owners.
| S-EPMC8265177 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented stress on economies, food systems, and health care resources in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Existing surveillance provides a proxy of the COVID-19 caseload and mortalities; however, these measures make it difficult to identify the dynamics of the pandemic and places where outbreaks are likely to occur. Moreover, existing surveillance techniques have failed to measure the dynamics of the pandemic.ObjectiveThis study aimed to provide additional surveillance metrics for COVID-19 transmission to track changes in the speed, acceleration, jerk, and persistence in the transmission of the pandemic more accurately than existing metrics.MethodsThrough a longitudinal trend analysis, we extracted COVID-19 data over 45 days from public health registries. We used an empirical difference equation to monitor the daily number of cases in the LAC as a function of the prior number of cases, the level of testing, and weekly shift variables based on a dynamic panel model that was estimated using the generalized method of moments approach by implementing the Arellano-Bond estimator in R. COVID-19 transmission rates were tracked for the LAC between September 30 and October 6, 2020, and between October 7 and 13, 2020.ResultsThe LAC saw a reduction in the speed, acceleration, and jerk for the week of October 13, 2020, compared to the week of October 6, 2020, accompanied by reductions in new cases and the 7-day moving average. For the week of October 6, 2020, Belize reported the highest acceleration and jerk, at 1.7 and 1.8, respectively, which is particularly concerning, given its high mortality rate. The Bahamas also had a high acceleration at 1.5. In total, 11 countries had a positive acceleration during the week of October 6, 2020, whereas only 6 countries had a positive acceleration for the week of October 13, 2020. The TAC displayed an overall positive trend, with a speed of 10.40, acceleration of 0.27, and jerk of -0.31, all of which decreased in the subsequent week to 9.04, -0.81, and -0.03, respectively.ConclusionsMetrics such as new cases, cumulative cases, deaths, and 7-day moving averages provide a static view of the pandemic but fail to identify where and the speed at which SARS-CoV-2 infects new individuals, the rate of acceleration or deceleration of the pandemic, and weekly comparison of the rate of acceleration of the pandemic indicate impending explosive growth or control of the pandemic. Enhanced surveillance will inform policymakers and leaders in the LAC about COVID-19 outbreaks.
| S-EPMC8083950 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a virus of zoonotic origin that can bind to ACE2 receptors on the cells of many wild and domestic mammals. Studies have shown that the virus can circulate among animals mutate, lead to animal-to-human zoonotic jump, and further onward spread between humans. Infection in pets is unusual, and there are few human-to-pet transmission reports worldwide.ObjectiveTo describe the SARS-CoV-2 infection in a domestic animal in Córdoba, Colombian Caribbean region.MethodsA cross-sectional molecular surveillance study was carried out, oral and rectal swabs were taken from cats and dogs living with people diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).ResultsSARS-CoV-2 was found in a cat living with a person with COVID-19. Genome sequencing showed that the B.1.111 lineage caused the infection in the cat. The owner's sample could not be sequenced. The lineage is predominant in Colombia, and this variant is characterised by the presence of the D614D and Q57H mutation.ConclusionThe present work is the first report of an infected cat with SARS-CoV-2 with whole-genome sequencing in Colombia. It highlights the importance of detecting SARS-CoV-2 mutations that could promote the transmissibility of this new coronavirus. There is still a significant information gap on human-to-cat-to-human infection; we encourage self-isolation measures between COVID-19 patients and companion animals. The findings of this study give a preliminary view of the current panorama of SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals in Colombia.
| S-EPMC9088422 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The variability in resolution of SARS-CoV-2-infections between individuals neither is comprehended, nor are the long-term immunological consequences. To assess the long-term impact of a SARS-CoV-2-infection on the immune system, we conducted a prospective study of 80 acute and former SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals and 39 unexposed donors to evaluate autoantibody responses and immune composition. Autoantibody levels against cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP), a specific predictor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), were significantly (p = 0.035) elevated in convalescents only, whereas both acute COVID-19 patients and long-term convalescents showed critically increased levels of anti-tissue transglutaminase (TG), a specific predictor of celiac disease (CD) (p = 0.002). Both, anti-CCP and anti-TG antibody levels were still detectable after 4-8 months post infection. Anti-TG antibodies occurred predominantly in aged patients in a context of a post-SARS-CoV-2-specific immune composition (R2 = 0.31; p = 0.044). This study shows that increased anti-CCP and anti-TG autoantibody levels can remain long-term after recovering even from mildly experienced COVID-19. The inter-relationship of the lung as viral entry side and RA- and CD-associated autoimmunity indicates that a SARS-CoV-2-infection could be a relevant environmental factor in their pathogenesis.
| S-EPMC8214939 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Arizona's COVID-19 and Pets Program is a prospective surveillance study being conducted to characterize how SARS-CoV-2 impacts companion animals living in households with SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals. Among the enrolled pets, we identified a SARS-CoV-2-infected cat and dog from the same household; both animals were asymptomatic but had close contact with the symptomatic and SARS-CoV-2-positive owner. Whole genome sequencing of animal and owner specimens revealed identical viral genomes of the B.1.575 lineage, suggesting zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to at least one pet. This is the first report of the B.1.575 lineage in companion animals. Genetically linking SARS-CoV-2 between people and animals, and tracking changes in SARS-CoV-2 genomes is essential to detect any cross-species SARS-CoV-2 transmission that may lead to more transmissible or severe variants that can affect humans. Surveillance studies, including genomic analyses of owner and pet specimens, are needed to further our understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 impacts companion animals.
| S-EPMC8479377 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Severe cases of COVID-19 are associated with extensive lung damage and the presence of infected multinucleated syncytial pneumocytes. The viral and cellular mechanisms regulating the formation of these syncytia are not well understood. Here, we show that SARS-CoV-2 infected cells express the Spike protein (S) at their surface and fuse with ACE2-positive neighbouring cells. Expression of S without any other viral proteins triggers syncytia formation. Interferon-induced transmembrane proteins (IFITMs), a family of restriction factors that block the entry of many viruses, inhibit S-mediated fusion, with IFITM1 being more active than IFITM2 and IFITM3. On the contrary, the TMPRSS2 serine protease, which is known to enhance infectivity of cell-free virions, processes both S and ACE2 and increases syncytia formation by accelerating the fusion process. TMPRSS2 thwarts the antiviral effect of IFITMs. Our results show that SARS-CoV-2 pathological effects are modulated by cellular proteins that either inhibit or facilitate syncytia formation.
| S-SCDT-EMBOJ-2020-106267 | biostudies-other
Project description:ObjectivesSeveral cases of reverse transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to pets were reported during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the World Organization for Animal Health has recommended to improve SARS-CoV-2 surveillance on household animals to assess the risk of transmission between species. After such recommendation, we studied the potential SARS-CoV-2 infection in household dogs and cats in the city of Guayaquil, the most populated city in Ecuador.MethodsOral and nasal swab samples were collected from dogs and cats within 10 days of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result of their owners. Total ribonucleic acid was extracted and detection of viral gene targets N and ORF1ab was performed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.ResultsFrom the 50 cats and dogs tested, 12 were SARS-CoV-2 positive, giving a total positivity rate of 24%. A total of 1 of 8 cats tested positive, whereas 11 of 42 dogs were positive, yielding a positivity rate of 12.5% and 26.2%, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed by whole genome sequencing. In addition, we also found a statistically significant association between SARS-CoV-2 pet positivity and food sharing with infected owners.ConclusionThis study is the second active surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in household dogs and cats in Latin America. Moreover, it is the first study to address the risk factors associated with potential anthropogenic SARS-CoV-2 transmission to domestic cats and dogs. Given the high presence of free-roaming dogs and cats in rural and urban areas in Latin American countries and the high capacity shown by coronaviruses for interspecies transmission, our findings support the view that SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in pets is necessary to better understand the role that pet-human interaction plays in the COVID-19 spread.
| S-EPMC9132679 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:MODY-NEUROD1 is a rare form of monogenic diabetes caused by mutations in Neuronal differentiation 1 (NEUROD1). Until now, only a few cases of MODY-NEUROD1 have been reported worldwide and the real contribution of mutations in NEUROD1 in monogenic diabetes and its clinical impact remain unclear. METHODS:Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes of 25 unrelated Brazilians patients with clinical characteristics suggestive of monogenic diabetes and the screening of the entire coding region of NEUROD1 was performed by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS:We identified one novel frameshift deletion (p.Phe256Leufs*2) in NEUROD1 segregating in an autosomal dominant inheritance fashion. Almost 20 years after the first report of NEUROD1-MODY, only a few families in Europe and Asia had shown mutations in NEUROD1 as the cause of monogenic diabetes. CONCLUSION:To our knowledge, we described the first case of NEUROD1-MODY in a Latin American family.
| S-EPMC6900366 | biostudies-literature