tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Front Vet Sci
. 2021 Oct 12;8:707368.
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.707368. eCollection 2021.
Presence of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Domestic Cats in Istanbul, Turkey, Before and After COVID-19 Pandemic
Aysun Yilmaz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abdullah Kayar[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nuri Turan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Onur Iskefli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Alper Bayrakal[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gleyder Roman-Sosa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Erman Or[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hasan Emre Tali[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bekir Kocazeybek[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ridvan Karaali[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Dashzeveg Bold[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jean-Remy Sadeyen[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Deimante Lukosaityte[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Pengxiang Chang[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Munir Iqbal[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Juergen A Richt[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Huseyin Yilmaz[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrated that domestic cats can be naturally and experimentally infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study was performed to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies within the domestic cat population in Istanbul, Turkey, before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, from 155 cat sera analyzed, 26.45% (41/155) tested positive in the spike protein-ELISA (S-ELISA), 28.38% (44/155) in the receptor-binding domain-ELISA (RBD-ELISA), and 21.9% (34/155) in both, the S- and RBD-ELISAs. Twenty-seven of those were also positive for the presence of antibodies to feline coronavirus (FCoV). Among the 34 SARS-CoV-2-positive sera, three of those were positive on serum neutralization assay. Six of the 30 cats before COVID-19 and 28 of the 125 cats during COVID-19 were found to be seropositive. About 20% of ELISA-positive cats exhibited mainly respiratory, gastrointestinal, and renal signs and skin lesions. Hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cells, lymphocyte, and platelet numbers were low in about 30% of ELISA-positive cats. The number of neutrophils and monocytes were above normal values in about 20% of ELISA-positive cats. The liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase levels were high in 23.5% ELISA-positive cats. In conclusion, this is the first report describing antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 antigens (S and RBD) in cats in Istanbul, Turkey, indicating the risk for domestic cats to contract SARS-CoV-2 from owners and/or household members with COVID-19. This study and others show that COVID-19-positive pet owners should limit their contact with companion animals and that pets with respiratory signs should be monitored for SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Keywords: ELISA; RBD; SARS-CoV-2; Turkey; cat; spike.
. 2021 Oct 12;8:707368.
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.707368. eCollection 2021.
Presence of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Domestic Cats in Istanbul, Turkey, Before and After COVID-19 Pandemic
Aysun Yilmaz[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Abdullah Kayar[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nuri Turan[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Onur Iskefli[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Alper Bayrakal[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gleyder Roman-Sosa[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Erman Or[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Hasan Emre Tali[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Bekir Kocazeybek[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Ridvan Karaali[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Dashzeveg Bold[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jean-Remy Sadeyen[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Deimante Lukosaityte[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Pengxiang Chang[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Munir Iqbal[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Juergen A Richt[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Huseyin Yilmaz[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34712718
- PMCID: PMC8545985
- DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.707368
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrated that domestic cats can be naturally and experimentally infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study was performed to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies within the domestic cat population in Istanbul, Turkey, before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, from 155 cat sera analyzed, 26.45% (41/155) tested positive in the spike protein-ELISA (S-ELISA), 28.38% (44/155) in the receptor-binding domain-ELISA (RBD-ELISA), and 21.9% (34/155) in both, the S- and RBD-ELISAs. Twenty-seven of those were also positive for the presence of antibodies to feline coronavirus (FCoV). Among the 34 SARS-CoV-2-positive sera, three of those were positive on serum neutralization assay. Six of the 30 cats before COVID-19 and 28 of the 125 cats during COVID-19 were found to be seropositive. About 20% of ELISA-positive cats exhibited mainly respiratory, gastrointestinal, and renal signs and skin lesions. Hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cells, lymphocyte, and platelet numbers were low in about 30% of ELISA-positive cats. The number of neutrophils and monocytes were above normal values in about 20% of ELISA-positive cats. The liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase levels were high in 23.5% ELISA-positive cats. In conclusion, this is the first report describing antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 antigens (S and RBD) in cats in Istanbul, Turkey, indicating the risk for domestic cats to contract SARS-CoV-2 from owners and/or household members with COVID-19. This study and others show that COVID-19-positive pet owners should limit their contact with companion animals and that pets with respiratory signs should be monitored for SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Keywords: ELISA; RBD; SARS-CoV-2; Turkey; cat; spike.