SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant of concern detected in a pet dog and cat after exposure to a person with COVID-19, USA.
Sarah A Hamer1
Ria R Ghai2
Italo B Zecca1
Lisa D Auckland1
Christopher M Roundy3
Edward Davila1
Rachel E Busselman1
Wendy Tang3
Alex Pauvolid-Corrêa1,4
Mary Lea Killian5
Melinda Jenkins-Moore5
Mia Kim Torchetti5
Suelee Robbe Austerman5
Ailam Lim6
Yao Akpalu7
Rebecca S B Fischer8
Casey Barton Behravesh2
Gabriel L Hamer3
Affiliations8 institutions
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University and AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, USA.
Laboratory of Respiratory Viruses and Measles, SARS-CoV-2 National Reference Laboratory and Regional Reference Laboratory in the Americas (PAHO/WHO), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
National Veterinary Services Laboratories, USDA APHIS VS, Ames, IA, USA.
Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Brazos County Health Department, Bryan, TX, USA.
School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
As part of a longitudinal household transmission study of pets living with persons with COVID-19 in Texas, two pets were confirmed to be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant of concern (VOC). The pets were a dog and a cat from the same household, sampled two days after their owner tested positive for COVID-19. The oral, nasal and fur swabs for both pets tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by qRT-PCR and consensus whole-genome sequences from the dog and cat were 100% identical and matched the B.1.1.7 VOC. Virus was isolated from the cat's nasal swab. One month after initial detection of infection, the pets were re-tested twice at which time only the fur swabs (both pets) and oral swab (dog only) remained positive, and neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 were present in both animals. Sneezing by both pets was noted by the owner in the weeks between initial and follow-up testing. This study documents the first detection of B.1.1.7. in companion animals in the United States, and the first genome recovery and isolation of B.1.1.7 variant of concern globally in any animal.
catCOVID-19dogone healthSARS-CoV-2spillbackvariant of concernCat DiseasesCOVID-19Dog DiseasesAnimalsCatsDogsHumansSARS-CoV-2TexasSARS-CoV-2 variants
Structured evidence records
Evidence records
6 total
Genomic Evolution2 records
Genomic EvolutionExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
Whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from a pet dog and cat showed both animals carried identical B.1.1.7 variant genomes, confirming infection with the same lineage as circulating in humans.
Consensus whole-genome sequences from the dog and cat were 100% identical and matched the B.1.1.7 VOC. This study documents the first genome recovery and isolation of B.1.1.7 variant of concern globally in any animal.
Genes or proteins
whole genome
Analysis methods
whole-genome sequencing
Genomic EvolutionExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
Whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from a pet cat demonstrated an identical B.1.1.7 variant genome to that found in the cohabiting dog and human source, showing the same lineage was circulating across species.
Consensus whole-genome sequences from the dog and cat were 100% identical and matched the B.1.1.7 VOC. This study documents the first genome recovery and isolation of B.1.1.7 variant of concern globally in any animal.
Genes or proteins
whole genome
Analysis methods
whole-genome sequencing
Serological Evidence2 records
Serological EvidenceExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
Neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 were detected in both the dog and cat one month after initial infection.
One month after initial detection of infection, the pets were re-tested twice at which time only the fur swabs (both pets) and oral swab (dog only) remained positive, and neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 were present in both animals.
Method
neutralization test
Sample type
serum
Serological EvidenceExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
Neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 were detected in the cat one month after initial infection.
One month after initial detection of infection, the pets were re-tested twice at which time only the fur swabs (both pets) and oral swab (dog only) remained positive, and neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 were present in both animals.
Method
neutralization test
Sample type
serum
Spillover Event2 records
Spillover EventExtraction confidence 0.95
Key finding
Human-to-animal transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant occurred from a COVID-19–positive owner to a pet dog.
Two pets were confirmed to be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant of concern after exposure to a person with COVID-19 in Texas; the pets were a dog and a cat from the same household.
Method
qRT-PCR; whole-genome sequencing; virus isolation
Study design
household transmission study
Transmission direction
human-to-animal
Geographic raw
Texas, USA
Country inferred
United States
Spillover EventExtraction confidence 0.95
Key finding
Human-to-animal transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant occurred from a COVID-19–positive owner to a pet cat.
Two pets were confirmed to be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant of concern after exposure to a person with COVID-19 in Texas; the pets were a dog and a cat from the same household.
Method
qRT-PCR; whole-genome sequencing; virus isolation
Study design
household transmission study
Transmission direction
human-to-animal
Geographic raw
Texas, USA
Country inferred
United States
Citation context
References
11 references
Reference network
Force-directed citation graph. OmniVira-indexed references are prioritized and recursively expanded up to three steps.
Emergence of SARS‐CoV‐2 B.1.1.7 Lineage — United States, December 29, 2020–January 12, 2021. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70(3), 95–99. 10.15585/mmwr.mm7003e2
Galloway
2021
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Natural SARS‐CoV‐2 infections, including virus isolation, among serially tested cats and dogs in households with confirmed human COVID‐19 cases in Texas, USA. bioRxiv, 2020.2012.2008.416339. 10.1101/2020.12.08.416339
