tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Acta Trop
. 2023 Oct 30:107056.
doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107056. Online ahead of print. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and co-infections in stray cats in Brazil
Anisleidy Pérez Castillo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Joao Victor Oliveira Miranda[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Paula Luize Camargos Fonseca[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Soraia de Oliveira Silva[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Rosálida Estevam Nazar Lopes[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Viviane Campos Spanhol[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Rennan Garcias Moreira[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Rafael Romero Nicolino[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Daniel Costa Queiroz[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Luiza Campos Guerra de Araújo E Santos[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Anna Pio Soares Dos Santos[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hugo Adriano Araújo Rivetti[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Erica S Martins-Duarte[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Ricardo Wagner de Almeida Vitor[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jenner Karlisson Pimenta Dos Reis[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Renato Santana Aguiar[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Júlia Angélica Gonçalves da Silveira[SUP] 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
The zoonotic virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome in humans (COVID-19), has been identified in cats. Notably, most positive cases were in cats that had close contact with infected humans, suggesting a role for humans in animal transmission routes. Previous studies have suggested that animals with immune depletion are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. To date, there is limited evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in stray and free-range cats affected by other pathogens. In this study, we investigated infections caused by SARS-CoV-2, Leishmania spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Mycoplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in stray cats from an urban park in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. From February to September 2021, 78 mixed-breed cats were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and hemopathogens using molecular analysis at Américo Renné Giannetti Municipal Park, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect IgG in T. gondii. None of the animals in this study showed any clinical signs of infections. The SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA was detected in 7.7% of cats, and a whole virus genome sequence analysis revealed the SARS-CoV-2 Delta lineage (B.1.617.2). Phylogenetic analysis showed that SARS-CoV-2 isolated from cats was grouped into the sublineage AY.99.2, which matches the epidemiological scenario of COVID-19 in the urban area of our study. Leishmania infantum was detected and sequenced in 9% of cats. The seroprevalence of T. gondii was 23.1%. Hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. was detected in 7.7% of the cats, with Mycoplasma haemofelis and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum being the most common. Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae were detected in 38.5% of the cats, FeLV was detected in 17,9%, and none of the cats studied tested positive for FIV. This study reports, for the first time, the SARS-CoV-2 infection with whole-genome sequencing in stray cats in southeastern Brazil and co-infection with other pathogens, including Bartonella spp. and Feline leukemia virus. Our study observed no correlation between SARS-CoV-2 and the other detected pathogens. Our results emphasize the importance of monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in stray cats to characterize their epidemiological role in SARS-CoV-2 infection and reinforce the importance of zoonotic disease surveillance.
Keywords: Coronavirus; PCR; hemopathogens; molecular diagnostic; retroviruses; sequencing.
. 2023 Oct 30:107056.
doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107056. Online ahead of print. Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and co-infections in stray cats in Brazil
Anisleidy Pérez Castillo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Joao Victor Oliveira Miranda[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Paula Luize Camargos Fonseca[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Soraia de Oliveira Silva[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Rosálida Estevam Nazar Lopes[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Viviane Campos Spanhol[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Rennan Garcias Moreira[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Rafael Romero Nicolino[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Daniel Costa Queiroz[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Luiza Campos Guerra de Araújo E Santos[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Anna Pio Soares Dos Santos[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hugo Adriano Araújo Rivetti[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Erica S Martins-Duarte[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Ricardo Wagner de Almeida Vitor[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jenner Karlisson Pimenta Dos Reis[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Renato Santana Aguiar[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Júlia Angélica Gonçalves da Silveira[SUP] 8 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 37913970
- DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107056
The zoonotic virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome in humans (COVID-19), has been identified in cats. Notably, most positive cases were in cats that had close contact with infected humans, suggesting a role for humans in animal transmission routes. Previous studies have suggested that animals with immune depletion are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. To date, there is limited evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in stray and free-range cats affected by other pathogens. In this study, we investigated infections caused by SARS-CoV-2, Leishmania spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Mycoplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in stray cats from an urban park in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. From February to September 2021, 78 mixed-breed cats were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and hemopathogens using molecular analysis at Américo Renné Giannetti Municipal Park, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect IgG in T. gondii. None of the animals in this study showed any clinical signs of infections. The SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA was detected in 7.7% of cats, and a whole virus genome sequence analysis revealed the SARS-CoV-2 Delta lineage (B.1.617.2). Phylogenetic analysis showed that SARS-CoV-2 isolated from cats was grouped into the sublineage AY.99.2, which matches the epidemiological scenario of COVID-19 in the urban area of our study. Leishmania infantum was detected and sequenced in 9% of cats. The seroprevalence of T. gondii was 23.1%. Hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. was detected in 7.7% of the cats, with Mycoplasma haemofelis and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum being the most common. Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae were detected in 38.5% of the cats, FeLV was detected in 17,9%, and none of the cats studied tested positive for FIV. This study reports, for the first time, the SARS-CoV-2 infection with whole-genome sequencing in stray cats in southeastern Brazil and co-infection with other pathogens, including Bartonella spp. and Feline leukemia virus. Our study observed no correlation between SARS-CoV-2 and the other detected pathogens. Our results emphasize the importance of monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in stray cats to characterize their epidemiological role in SARS-CoV-2 infection and reinforce the importance of zoonotic disease surveillance.
Keywords: Coronavirus; PCR; hemopathogens; molecular diagnostic; retroviruses; sequencing.