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Literature detail

Serological evidence of SARS-CoV-2 and co-infections in stray cats in Spain.

Sergio Villanueva-Saz1,2,3 Jacobo Giner1,4 Ana Pilar Tobajas3,5 María Dolores Pérez3,5 Andrés Manuel González-Ramírez6 Javier Macías-León3 Ana González4 Maite Verde1,3,4 Andrés Yzuel1 Ramón Hurtado-Guerrero6,7,8,9,10 Julián Pardo7,11,12 Llipsy Santiago11 José Ramón Paño-Pardo11,13 Héctor Ruíz4 Delia María Lacasta3,4 Lourdes Sánchez3,5 Diana Marteles1 Ana Pilar Gracia3,5 Antonio Fernández1,3,4
Affiliations 13 institutions
  1. Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
  2. Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
  3. Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Zaragoza, Spain.
  4. Deparment of Animal Pathology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
  5. Department of Animal Production and Sciences of the Food, Veterinary Faculty, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
  6. Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Edificio I+D, Campus Rio Ebro, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
  7. Aragon I+D Foundation (ARAID), Zaragoza, Spain.
  8. Laboratorio de Microscopías Avanzada (LMA), Edificio I+D, Campus Rio Ebro, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
  9. Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Copenhagen, Denmark.
  10. Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
  11. Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain.
  12. Department of Microbiology, Pediatrics, Radiology and Public Health, Zaragoza University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
  13. Infectious Disease Department, University Hospital Lozano Blesa, Zaragoza, Spain.
PMID 33686768 2022 Transbound Emerg Dis eng ppublish
PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

A new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan in 2019 and spread rapidly to the rest of the world causing the pandemic disease named coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). Little information is known about the impact this virus can cause upon domestic and stray animals. The potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 has become of great interest in cats due to transmission among domestic cats and the severe phenotypes described recently in a domestic cat. In this context, there is a public health warning that needs to be investigated in relation with the epidemiological role of this virus in stray cats. Consequently, in order to know the impact of the possible transmission chain, blood samples were obtained from 114 stray cats in the city of Zaragoza (Spain) and tested for SARS-CoV-2 and other selected pathogens susceptible to immunosuppression including Toxoplasma gondii, Leishmania infantum, feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) from January to October 2020. Four cats (3.51%), based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the receptor binding domain (RBD) of Spike antigen, were seroreactive to SARS-CoV-2. T. gondii, L. infantum, FeLV and FIV seroprevalence was 12.28%, 16.67%, 4.39% and 19.30%, respectively. Among seropositive cats to SARS-CoV-2, three cats were also seropositive to other pathogens including antibodies detected against T. gondii and FIV (n = 1); T. gondii (n = 1); and FIV and L. infantum (n = 1). The subjects giving positive for SARS-CoV-2 were captured in urban areas of the city in different months: January 2020 (2/4), February 2020 (1/4) and July 2020 (1/4). This study revealed, for the first time, the exposure of stray cats to SARS-CoV-2 in Spain and the existence of concomitant infections with other pathogens including T. gondii, L. infantum and FIV, suggesting that immunosuppressed animals might be especially susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

concomitant infections COVID-19 ELISA SARS-CoV-2 serology stray cats Cat Diseases Coinfection COVID-19 Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Animals Animals, Wild Cats Humans Leukemia Virus, Feline SARS-CoV-2 Seroepidemiologic Studies Spain

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

2 total
Serological Evidence 1 records
Serological Evidence Extraction confidence 1.00
Key finding

Four of 114 stray cats in Zaragoza, Spain were seroreactive to SARS-CoV-2 based on ELISA testing, indicating prior viral exposure.

Virus
SARS-CoV-2
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

Blood samples were obtained from 114 stray cats in the city of Zaragoza (Spain) and tested for SARS-CoV-2 ... Four cats (3.51%), based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the receptor binding domain (RBD) of Spike antigen, were seroreactive to SARS-CoV-2.

Method
ELISA
Sample type
blood; serum
Zoonotic Surveillance 1 records
Zoonotic Surveillance Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

Serological testing found SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 3.51% of stray cats sampled in Zaragoza, Spain.

Virus
SARS-CoV-2
Location
Spain Zaragoza, Spain
Supporting text

Blood samples were obtained from 114 stray cats in the city of Zaragoza (Spain) and tested for SARS-CoV-2 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); four cats (3.51%) were seroreactive to SARS-CoV-2.

Method
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; ELISA
Sample type
blood
Geographic raw
Zaragoza
Country inferred
Spain