tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis
. 2022 Mar 7;28:e20210074.
doi: 10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0074. eCollection 2022.
Persistent SARS-CoV-2 antigen presence in multiple organs of a naturally infected cat from Brazil
Samar Afif Jarrah[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Louise Bach Kmetiuk[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Otávio Valério de Carvalho[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Alessandra Tammy Hayakawa Ito de Sousa[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Valeria Regia Franco Souza[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Luciano Nakazato[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Edson Moleta Colodel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Pires Dos Santos[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christina Pettan-Brewer[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Rosane Christine Hahn[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Renata Dezengrini Slhessarenko[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Daniel Guimarães Ubiali[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Asheley Henrique Barbosa Pereira[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Helio Autran de Morais[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Alexander Welker Biondo[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Valéria Dutra[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent of the disease coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in humans. SARS-CoV-2 has been identified in cats with or without clinical signs.
Case presentation: We describe the pathological and molecular findings in a six-month-old asymptomatic cat with SARS-CoV-2 infection from Brazil, belonging to a human family with COVID-19 cases. The pool of nasopharynx and oropharynx swabs at day zero tested positive by RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2. No amplification resulted from molecular testing performed on days 7 and 14. The cat was hit by a car and died 43 days after the molecular diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry at post-mortem examination demonstrated nucleocapsid protein in samples from the lungs, kidneys, nasal conchae, trachea, intestine, brain and spleen.
Conclusion: The present study has highlighted the possibility that viral antigens can be detected by immunohistochemistry in multiple organs six weeks after infection, although the same tissues tested negative by RT-PCR.
Keywords: Cats; Coronavirus; Disease transmission; Pets; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2022 Mar 7;28:e20210074.
doi: 10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0074. eCollection 2022.
Persistent SARS-CoV-2 antigen presence in multiple organs of a naturally infected cat from Brazil
Samar Afif Jarrah[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Louise Bach Kmetiuk[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Otávio Valério de Carvalho[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Alessandra Tammy Hayakawa Ito de Sousa[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Valeria Regia Franco Souza[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Luciano Nakazato[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Edson Moleta Colodel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Pires Dos Santos[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christina Pettan-Brewer[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Rosane Christine Hahn[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Renata Dezengrini Slhessarenko[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Daniel Guimarães Ubiali[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Asheley Henrique Barbosa Pereira[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Helio Autran de Morais[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Alexander Welker Biondo[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Valéria Dutra[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35310131
- PMCID: PMC8906534
- DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2021-0074
Abstract
Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent of the disease coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in humans. SARS-CoV-2 has been identified in cats with or without clinical signs.
Case presentation: We describe the pathological and molecular findings in a six-month-old asymptomatic cat with SARS-CoV-2 infection from Brazil, belonging to a human family with COVID-19 cases. The pool of nasopharynx and oropharynx swabs at day zero tested positive by RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2. No amplification resulted from molecular testing performed on days 7 and 14. The cat was hit by a car and died 43 days after the molecular diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry at post-mortem examination demonstrated nucleocapsid protein in samples from the lungs, kidneys, nasal conchae, trachea, intestine, brain and spleen.
Conclusion: The present study has highlighted the possibility that viral antigens can be detected by immunohistochemistry in multiple organs six weeks after infection, although the same tissues tested negative by RT-PCR.
Keywords: Cats; Coronavirus; Disease transmission; Pets; SARS-CoV-2.