Genomic investigation of a household SARS-CoV-2 disease cluster in Arizona involving a cat, dog, and pet owner.
Hayley D Yaglom1
Gavriella Hecht2
Andrew Goedderz1
Daniel Jasso-Selles1
Jennifer L Ely1
Irene Ruberto2
Jolene R Bowers1
David M Engelthaler1
Heather Venkat2,3
Affiliations3 institutions
Translational Genomics Research Institute, Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, 3051 W. Shamrell Blvd Ste. 106, Flagstaff, AZ 86005, USA.
Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Infectious Disease Services, 150 North 18th Avenue, Suite 140, Phoenix, AZ 85007, United States of America.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Preparedness and Response, Career Epidemiology Field Officer Program, 1600 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Arizona's COVID-19 and Pets Program is a prospective surveillance study being conducted to characterize how SARS-CoV-2 impacts companion animals living in households with SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals. Among the enrolled pets, we identified a SARS-CoV-2-infected cat and dog from the same household; both animals were asymptomatic but had close contact with the symptomatic and SARS-CoV-2-positive owner. Whole genome sequencing of animal and owner specimens revealed identical viral genomes of the B.1.575 lineage, suggesting zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to at least one pet. This is the first report of the B.1.575 lineage in companion animals. Genetically linking SARS-CoV-2 between people and animals, and tracking changes in SARS-CoV-2 genomes is essential to detect any cross-species SARS-CoV-2 transmission that may lead to more transmissible or severe variants that can affect humans. Surveillance studies, including genomic analyses of owner and pet specimens, are needed to further our understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 impacts companion animals.
Arizona's COVID-19 and Pets Program is a prospective surveillance study being conducted to characterize how SARS-CoV-2 impacts companion animals living in households with SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals.
Method
genomic sequencing; RT-PCR
Sample type
animal specimens; owner specimens
Geographic raw
Arizona
Country inferred
United States
Zoonotic SurveillanceExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
Surveillance identified both a cat and a dog infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the same Arizona household with an infected owner.
Among the enrolled pets, we identified a SARS-CoV-2-infected cat and dog from the same household; both animals were asymptomatic but had close contact with the symptomatic and SARS-CoV-2-positive owner.
Method
genomic sequencing; RT-PCR
Sample type
animal specimens
Geographic raw
Arizona
Country inferred
United States
Zoonotic SurveillanceExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
Surveillance identified a SARS-CoV-2-infected dog from a household in Arizona with an infected owner.
Among the enrolled pets, we identified a SARS-CoV-2-infected cat and dog from the same household; both animals were asymptomatic but had close contact with the symptomatic and SARS-CoV-2-positive owner.
Method
genomic sequencing; RT-PCR
Sample type
animal specimens
Geographic raw
Arizona
Country inferred
United States
Genomic Evolution2 records
Genomic EvolutionExtraction confidence 0.80
Key finding
Whole genome sequencing identified identical SARS-CoV-2 B.1.575 genomes in a human, cat, and dog, indicating cross-species linkage within the household cluster.
Whole genome sequencing of animal and owner specimens revealed identical viral genomes of the B.1.575 lineage, suggesting zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to at least one pet.
Genes or proteins
whole genome
Analysis methods
whole genome sequencing
Genomic EvolutionExtraction confidence 0.80
Key finding
Whole genome sequencing identified identical SARS-CoV-2 B.1.575 genomes in a human, cat, and dog, indicating cross-species linkage within the household cluster.
Whole genome sequencing of animal and owner specimens revealed identical viral genomes of the B.1.575 lineage, suggesting zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to at least one pet.
Genes or proteins
whole genome
Analysis methods
whole genome sequencing
Spillover Event2 records
Spillover EventExtraction confidence 0.95
Key finding
Genomic analysis indicated SARS-CoV-2 B.1.575 lineage transmission from a symptomatic human owner to at least one companion animal (cat or dog) in Arizona.
Whole genome sequencing of animal and owner specimens revealed identical viral genomes of the B.1.575 lineage, suggesting zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to at least one pet.
Method
whole genome sequencing
Study design
genomic surveillance
Transmission direction
human-to-animal
Geographic raw
Arizona
Country inferred
United States
Spillover EventExtraction confidence 0.95
Key finding
Genomic analysis suggested SARS-CoV-2 B.1.575 lineage transmission from a human owner to a companion dog in Arizona.
Whole genome sequencing of animal and owner specimens revealed identical viral genomes of the B.1.575 lineage, suggesting zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to at least one pet.
Method
whole genome sequencing
Study design
genomic surveillance
Transmission direction
human-to-animal
Geographic raw
Arizona
Country inferred
United States
Citation context
References
19 references
Reference network
Force-directed citation graph. OmniVira-indexed references are prioritized and recursively expanded up to three steps.
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First genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 recovered from an infected cat and its owner in Latin America [published online ahead of print, 2021 Jan 9] Transbound
The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to pets and other wild and domestic animals strongly mandates a one-health strategy to control the COVID-19 pandemic
