RT Journal Article
T1 Large-scale study on virological and serological prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in cats and dogs in Spain
A1 Barroso-Arevalo, Sandra
A1 Barneto, Alberto
A1 Manuel Ramos, Angel
A1 Rivera, Belen
A1 Sanchez, Rocio
A1 Sanchez-Morales, Lidia
A1 Perez-Sancho, Marta
A1 Buendia, Aranzazu
A1 Ferreras, Elisa
A1 Carlos Ortiz-Menendez, Juan
A1 Moreno, Inmaculada
A1 Serres, Consuelo
A1 Vela, Carmen
A1 Angeles Risalde, Maria
A1 Dominguez, Lucas
A1 Sanchez-Vizcaino, Jose M.
K1 cats
K1 dogs
K1 neutralizing antibodies
K1 RT-qPCR
K1 SARS-CoV-2
K1 viral isolation
K1 Coronavirus
K1 Transmission
K1 Infection
AB The disease produced by the severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently one of the primary concerns worldwide. Knowing the zoonotic origin of the disease and that several animal species, including dogs and cats, are susceptible to viral infection, it is critical to assess the relevance of pets in this pandemic. Here, we performed a large-scale study on SARS-CoV-2 serological and viral prevalence in cats and dogs in Spain in order to elucidate their role and susceptibility. Samples from animals in contact with COVID-19 positive people and/or compatible symptoms (n = 492), as well as from random animals (n = 1024), were taken. Despite the large number of animals analyzed, only 12 animals (eight dogs and four cats), which represents 0.79% of the total analyzed animals (n = 1516), were positive for viral SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in which viral isolation was possible in four animals. We detected neutralizing antibodies in 34 animals, four of them were also positive for PCR. This study evidences that pets are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection in natural conditions but at a low level, as evidenced by the low percentage of positive animals detected, being infected humans the main source of infection. However, the inclusion of animals in the surveillance of COVID-19 is still recommended.
PB Wiley-hindawi
SN 1865-1674
YR 2021
FD 2021-11-16
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10668/25532
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10668/25532
LA en
DS RISalud
RD Apr 5, 2025