Dataset Information

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated lesions in exotic and companion animals.

ABSTRACT: Documented natural infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in exotic and companion animals following human exposures are uncommon. Those documented in animals are typically mild and self-limiting, and infected animals have only infrequently died or been euthanized. Through a coordinated One Health initiative, necropsies were conducted on 5 animals from different premises that were exposed to humans with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The combination of epidemiologic evidence of exposure and confirmatory real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing confirmed infection in 3 cats and a tiger. A dog was a suspect case based on epidemiologic evidence of exposure but tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. Four animals had respiratory clinical signs that developed 2 to 12 days after exposure. The dog had bronchointerstitial pneumonia and the tiger had bronchopneumonia; both had syncytial-like cells with no detection of SARS-CoV-2. Individual findings in the 3 cats included metastatic mammary carcinoma, congenital renal disease, and myocardial disease. Based on the necropsy findings and a standardized algorithm, SARS-CoV-2 infection was not considered the cause of death in any of the cases. Continued surveillance and necropsy examination of animals with fatal outcomes will further our understanding of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals and the potential role of the virus in development of lesions.

SUBMITTER: Rotstein DS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9207983 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated lesions in exotic and companion animals.

Rotstein David S DS Rotstein David S DS Peloquin Sarah S Proia Kathleen K Hart Ellen E Lee Jeongha J Vyhnal Kristin K KK Sasaki Emi E Balamayooran Gayathriy G Asin Javier J Southard Teresa T Rothfeldt Laura L Venkat Heather H Mundschenk Peter P McDermott Darby D Crossley Beate B Ferro Pamela P Gomez Gabriel G Henderson Eileen H EH Narayan Paul P Paulsen Daniel B DB Rekant Steven S Schroeder Megan E ME Tell Rachel M RM Torchetti Mia Kim MK Uzal Francisco A FA Carpenter Ann A Ghai Ria R

Veterinary pathology 20220118 4

Documented natural infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in exotic and companion animals following human exposures are uncommon. Those documented in animals are typically mild and self-limiting, and infected animals have only infrequently died or been euthanized. Through a coordinated One Health initiative, necropsies were conducted on 5 animals from different premises that were exposed to humans with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The combinati ...[more]

PMID: 35038930

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Project description:The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a zoonotic disease caused by the pandemic virus SARS-CoV-2. Domestic and wild animals are susceptible to infection and are potential reservoirs for virus variants. To date, there is no information about the exposure of companion animals in Buenos Aires Suburbs, the area with the largest population in Argentina where the highest number of COVID-19 human cases occurred during the first infection wave. Here we developed a multi-species indirect ELISA to measure antibodies reactive to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) from several vertebrates constituting the class Mammalia, making it a valuable tool for field serosurveillance. The ELISA cut-off value was estimated by sera from dogs, cats, cattle, and pigs sampled before 2019 (n = 170), considering a 98% percentile and a grey zone to completely exclude any false positive result. Specificity was confirmed by measuring levels of neutralizing antibodies against canine coronavirus, the avidity of specific antibodies, and their capacity to impede the binding of a recombinant RBD protein to VERO cells in an In-Cell ELISA. Sera from 464 cats and dogs sampled in 2020 and 2021 ("pandemic" samples) were assessed using the RBD-ELISA. Information on COVID-19 disease in the household and the animals' lifestyles was collected. In Buenos Aires Suburbs cats were infected at a higher proportion than dogs, seroprevalence was 7.1 and 1.68%, respectively. Confirmed COVID-19 in the caregivers and outdoor lifestyle were statistically associated with seropositivity in cats. The risk of cats getting infected living indoors in COVID-19-negative households was null. The susceptibility of mammals to SARS-CoV-2, the possibility of transmission between animals themselves and humans, together with the free-roaming lifestyle typical of Buenos Aires suburban companion animals, urge pursuing responsible animal care and avoiding human interaction with animals during the disease course. The multi-species RBD-ELISA we developed can be used as a tool for serosurveillance of SARS-CoV-2 infection in mammalians (domestic and wild), guiding further targeted virological analyses to encounter susceptible species, interspecies transmission, and potential virus reservoirs in our region.

Dataset Information

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated lesions in exotic and companion animals.

Publications

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated lesions in exotic and companion animals.

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