tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
. 2020 Sep 18;202010817.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2010817117. Online ahead of print.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in a cat owned by a COVID-19-affected patient in Spain
Joaquim Segal?s[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Mariona Puig[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jordi Rodon[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Carlos Avila-Nieto[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Jorge Carrillo[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Guillermo Cantero[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Maria Teresa Terr?n[SUP] 3 [/SUP], S?lvia Cruz[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mariona Parera[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Marc Noguera-Juli?n[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Nuria Izquierdo-Useros[SUP] 5 7 [/SUP], V?ctor Guallar[SUP] 8 9 [/SUP], Enric Vidal[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Alfonso Valencia[SUP] 8 9 [/SUP], Ignacio Blanco[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Juli? Blanco[SUP] 5 6 7 [/SUP], Bonaventura Clotet[SUP] 5 6 7 [/SUP], J?lia Vergara-Alert[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, is considered a zoonotic pathogen mainly transmitted human to human. Few reports indicate that pets may be exposed to the virus. The present report describes a cat suffering from severe respiratory distress and thrombocytopenia living with a family with several members affected by COVID-19. Clinical signs of the cat prompted humanitarian euthanasia and a detailed postmortem investigation to assess whether a COVID-19-like disease was causing the condition. Necropsy results showed the animal suffered from feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and severe pulmonary edema and thrombosis. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was only detected in nasal swab, nasal turbinates, and mesenteric lymph node, but no evidence of histopathological lesions compatible with a viral infection were detected. The cat seroconverted against SARS-CoV-2, further evidencing a productive infection in this animal. We conclude that the animal had a subclinical SARS-CoV-2 infection concomitant to an unrelated cardiomyopathy that led to euthanasia.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cat; transmission.
. 2020 Sep 18;202010817.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2010817117. Online ahead of print.
Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in a cat owned by a COVID-19-affected patient in Spain
Joaquim Segal?s[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Mariona Puig[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Jordi Rodon[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Carlos Avila-Nieto[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Jorge Carrillo[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Guillermo Cantero[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Maria Teresa Terr?n[SUP] 3 [/SUP], S?lvia Cruz[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Mariona Parera[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Marc Noguera-Juli?n[SUP] 5 6 [/SUP], Nuria Izquierdo-Useros[SUP] 5 7 [/SUP], V?ctor Guallar[SUP] 8 9 [/SUP], Enric Vidal[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Alfonso Valencia[SUP] 8 9 [/SUP], Ignacio Blanco[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Juli? Blanco[SUP] 5 6 7 [/SUP], Bonaventura Clotet[SUP] 5 6 7 [/SUP], J?lia Vergara-Alert[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32948692
- DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2010817117
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, is considered a zoonotic pathogen mainly transmitted human to human. Few reports indicate that pets may be exposed to the virus. The present report describes a cat suffering from severe respiratory distress and thrombocytopenia living with a family with several members affected by COVID-19. Clinical signs of the cat prompted humanitarian euthanasia and a detailed postmortem investigation to assess whether a COVID-19-like disease was causing the condition. Necropsy results showed the animal suffered from feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and severe pulmonary edema and thrombosis. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was only detected in nasal swab, nasal turbinates, and mesenteric lymph node, but no evidence of histopathological lesions compatible with a viral infection were detected. The cat seroconverted against SARS-CoV-2, further evidencing a productive infection in this animal. We conclude that the animal had a subclinical SARS-CoV-2 infection concomitant to an unrelated cardiomyopathy that led to euthanasia.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cat; transmission.