Cross-Species Transmission and Recombination Between Feline and Canine Coronaviruses in Jiangsu-Zhejiang Region in 2025.

Yanhan Lin^1,2 Xiaoyang Zhu¹ Yifan Meng¹ Jiachun Zou¹ Wanying Xie¹ Shuai Yang¹ Meng Cui¹ Ming Qiu¹ Xinkai Wang¹ Qinchao Guan¹ Hong Lin^1,3,4 Sen Jiang^1,3,4 Wanglong Zheng^1,3,4 Jianzhong Zhu^1,3,4 Kewei Fan² Nanhua Chen^1,3,4

Affiliations 4 institutions

College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Longyan University and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Biotechnology, Longyan 364012, China.
Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Comparative Medicine Research Institute, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.

PMID42514671 DOI10.3390/vetsci13070661 Year2026 Journal Veterinary sciences Vet Sci Languageeng Statusepublish

Abstract

Feline and canine coronaviruses (FCoVs and CCoVs) are widely prevalent in companion animals. The recent emergence of a highly virulent FCoV-CCoV recombinant virus, FCoV-23, caused a rapid feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) outbreak in Cyprus, which raises a serious concern about the cross-species transmission of CoVs among companion animals. Here, we evaluated the prevalence, transmission and evolution of FCoV and CCoV in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of China in 2025. A universal RT-qPCR assay for FCoV and CCoV was established and used for the detection of 700 clinical samples, including 501 from cats and 199 from dogs. A total of 92 samples (13.14%, 92/700) were detected as positive, containing 79 positive samples (15.76%, 79/501) from cats and 13 positive samples (6.5%, 13/199) from dogs. Ten complete S genes and two complete genomes were obtained from positive samples. Fragment comparison and phylogenetic analysis identified one CCoV-I sequence from a feline sample and one FCoV-II sequence from a canine sample. Furthermore, recombination analyses not only detected intra-species recombination events but also inter-species cross-over events. Collectively, this study, for the first time, revealed that cross-species transmission and recombination events occurred between FCoV and CCoV among companion animals in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region of China in 2025.

Supporting text Virus Host Location

canine coronavirus (CCoV) 1 cross-species transmission 75 epidemiology 48 feline coronavirus (FCoV) 1 recombination 40 universal detection 1

Evidence records

6 total

Zoonotic Surveillance

1 records · 1 evidence types

Evidence type Viral Detection

1 records

OVE11880 Viral Detection

Key finding

Universal RT-qPCR detected FCoV/CCoV RNA in 92 of 700 clinical samples from cats and dogs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, with 79/501 cat samples and 13/199 dog samples testing positive.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Here, we evaluated the prevalence, transmission and evolution of FCoV and CCoV in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces of China in 2025. A universal RT-qPCR assay for FCoV and CCoV was established and used for the detection of 700 clinical samples, including 501 from cats and 199 from dogs. A total of 92 samples (13.14%, 92/700) were detected as positive, containing 79 positive samples (15.76%, 79/501) from cats and 13 positive samples (6.5%, 13/199) from dogs.

Method: universal RT-qPCR
Sample type: clinical samples
Geographic raw: Jiangsu | Zhejiang | China
Country inferred: CHN

Transmission Evidence

2 records · 1 evidence types

Evidence type Cross-species Transmission

2 records

OVE11881 Cross-species Transmission

Key finding

A CCoV-I sequence was detected in a feline sample, indicating cross-species transmission from dogs to cats.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Fragment comparison and phylogenetic analysis identified one CCoV-I sequence from a feline sample. Collectively, this study, for the first time, revealed that cross-species transmission and recombination events occurred between FCoV and CCoV among companion animals in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region of China in 2025.

Method: universal RT-qPCR | fragment comparison | phylogenetic analysis
Study design: field surveillance with phylogenetic analysis
Transmission direction: animal-to-animal
Geographic raw: Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, China

OVE11882 Cross-species Transmission

Key finding

An FCoV-II sequence was detected in a canine sample, indicating cross-species transmission from cats to dogs.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Fragment comparison and phylogenetic analysis identified one CCoV-I sequence from a feline sample and one FCoV-II sequence from a canine sample. Collectively, this study, for the first time, revealed that cross-species transmission and recombination events occurred between FCoV and CCoV among companion animals in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region of China in 2025.

Method: universal RT-qPCR | fragment comparison | phylogenetic analysis
Study design: field surveillance with phylogenetic analysis
Transmission direction: animal-to-animal
Geographic raw: Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, China

Genomic Evolution

3 records · 2 evidence types

Evidence type Recombination or Reassortment

1 records

OVE11883 Recombination or Reassortment

Key finding

Recombination analyses detected both intra-species and inter-species crossover events between FCoV and CCoV in companion animals from the Jiangsu–Zhejiang region in 2025.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

“Furthermore, recombination analyses not only detected intra-species recombination events but also inter-species cross-over events.”

Event type: recombination

Evidence type Phylogenetic Evolution

2 records

OVE11884 Phylogenetic Evolution

Key finding

Phylogenetic analysis classified a coronavirus sequence from a cat as CCoV-I, indicating cross-host occurrence.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Fragment comparison and phylogenetic analysis identified one CCoV-I sequence from a feline sample

Analysis methods: fragment comparison | phylogenetic analysis

OVE11885 Phylogenetic Evolution

Key finding

Phylogenetic analysis classified a coronavirus sequence from a dog as FCoV-II, indicating cross-host occurrence.

Virus

Host

Location

Supporting text

Fragment comparison and phylogenetic analysis identified ... one FCoV-II sequence from a canine sample.

Analysis methods: fragment comparison | phylogenetic analysis

References

38 references

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