tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Vet Med Sci
. 2023 Dec 22.
doi: 10.1002/vms3.1338. Online ahead of print. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats (Felis catus) during COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia
Gundega Mūrniece[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Žanete Šteingolde[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Svetlana Cvetkova[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Olga Valciņa[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ņikita Zrelovs[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Monta Brīvība[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jānis Kloviņš[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Līga Birzniece[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kaspars Megnis[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Dāvids Fridmanis[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Aivars Bērziņš[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Līga Kovaļčuka[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kaspars Kovaļenko[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: The causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is of zoonotic origin and has shown reverse zoonotic transmissibility.
Objectives: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the serological and molecular prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the domestic cat (Felis catus) population from Latvia in natural conditions and subsequently perform viral genome analysis.
Methods: Oropharyngeal and rectal swabs and blood samples were collected from 273 domestic cats during the second wave of COVID-19 infection in Latvia. Molecular prevalence was determined by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum samples were analysed via double antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay targeting the antibody against the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2. Positive swab samples were analysed using whole viral genome sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic analysis of the whole genome sequencing data of the samples was performed.
Results: The overall SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positivity and seroprevalence was 1.1% (3/273) and 2.6% (7/273), respectively. The SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences from three RT-PCR positive cats were assigned to the three common lineages (PANGOLIN lineage S.1.; B.1.177.60. and B.1.1.7.) circulating in Latvia during the particular period of time.
Conclusions: These findings indicate that feline infection with SARS-CoV-2 occurred during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia, yet the overall prevalence was low. In addition, it seems like no special 'cat' pre-adaptations were necessary for successful infection of cats by the common lineages of SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cats; coronavirus; genome sequences.
. 2023 Dec 22.
doi: 10.1002/vms3.1338. Online ahead of print. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats (Felis catus) during COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia
Gundega Mūrniece[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Žanete Šteingolde[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Svetlana Cvetkova[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Olga Valciņa[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ņikita Zrelovs[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Monta Brīvība[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jānis Kloviņš[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Līga Birzniece[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kaspars Megnis[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Dāvids Fridmanis[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Aivars Bērziņš[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Līga Kovaļčuka[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kaspars Kovaļenko[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 38140758
- DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1338
Background: The causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is of zoonotic origin and has shown reverse zoonotic transmissibility.
Objectives: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the serological and molecular prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the domestic cat (Felis catus) population from Latvia in natural conditions and subsequently perform viral genome analysis.
Methods: Oropharyngeal and rectal swabs and blood samples were collected from 273 domestic cats during the second wave of COVID-19 infection in Latvia. Molecular prevalence was determined by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum samples were analysed via double antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay targeting the antibody against the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2. Positive swab samples were analysed using whole viral genome sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic analysis of the whole genome sequencing data of the samples was performed.
Results: The overall SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positivity and seroprevalence was 1.1% (3/273) and 2.6% (7/273), respectively. The SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences from three RT-PCR positive cats were assigned to the three common lineages (PANGOLIN lineage S.1.; B.1.177.60. and B.1.1.7.) circulating in Latvia during the particular period of time.
Conclusions: These findings indicate that feline infection with SARS-CoV-2 occurred during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia, yet the overall prevalence was low. In addition, it seems like no special 'cat' pre-adaptations were necessary for successful infection of cats by the common lineages of SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cats; coronavirus; genome sequences.