Open Access
Research (Published online: 31-10-2021)
36. First report of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection in two asymptomatic cats in the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil
Ivyson da Silva Epifanio, Davi dos Santos Rodrigues, Leonardo Borges de Lima, Maria Aurea de Azevedo Nogueira, Laelia Reginae do Monte Pessoa Felix, Barbara Ferreira de Almeida, Claudia Kathariny da Silva Farias, Otavio Valerio de Carvalho, Rita de Cassia Carvalho Maia, Luiz Eduardo Ristow, David Soeiro Barbosa, Juliana Arena Galhardo, Christina Pettan-Brewer, Louise Bach Kmetiuk, Rafael Garabet Agopian, Valeria Dutra, Helio Autran de Morais, Andrea Pires dos Santos, Alexander Welker Biondo and Daniel Friguglietti Brandespim
Veterinary World, 14(10): 2839-2842

Ivyson da Silva Epifanio: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Davi dos Santos Rodrigues: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Leonardo Borges de Lima: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Maria Aurea de Azevedo Nogueira: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Laelia Reginae do Monte Pessoa Felix: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Barbara Ferreira de Almeida: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Claudia Kathariny da Silva Farias: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Otavio Valerio de Carvalho: TECSA Animal Reference Laboratory, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Rita de Cassia Carvalho Maia: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
Luiz Eduardo Ristow: TECSA Animal Reference Laboratory, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
David Soeiro Barbosa: Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Juliana Arena Galhardo: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
Christina Pettan-Brewer: Department of Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Louise Bach Kmetiuk: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paran, Curitiba, Paran, Brazil.
Rafael Garabet Agopian: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Santo Amaro, São Paulo, Brazil.
Valeria Dutra: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiab, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
Helio Autran de Morais: Department of Clinical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
Andrea Pires dos Santos: Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
Alexander Welker Biondo: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paran, Curitiba, Paran, Brazil.
Daniel Friguglietti Brandespim: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

doi: www.doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.2839-2842

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Article history: Received: 08-06-2021, Accepted: 24-09-2021, Published online: 31-10-2021

Corresponding author: Alexander Welker Biondo

E-mail: abiondo@ufpr.br

Citation: da Silva Epifanio I, dos Santos Rodrigues D, de Lima LB, de Azevedo Nogueira MA, do Monte Pessoa Felix LR, de Almeida BF, da Silva Farias CK, de Carvalho OV, de Cassia Carvalho Maia R, Ristow LE, Barbosa DS, Galhardo JA, Pettan-Brewer C, Kmetiuk LB, Agopian RG, Dutra V, de Morais HA, dos Santos AP, Biondo AW, Brandespim DF (2021) First report of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection in two asymptomatic cats in the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil, Veterinary World, 14(10): 2839-2842.
Abstract

Background and Aim: Despite worldwide case reports, including Brazilian cases, no frequency study on infection of pets by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been conducted to date in Brazil. Accordingly, the present study was aimed to assess dogs and cats belonging to positive owners in Recife, Northeastern Brazil.

Materials and Methods: This was a longitudinal prospective study on dogs and cats in the city of Recife whose owners were in isolation at home due to a confirmed laboratory diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 through reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Oral and rectal swabs from the pets were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific RNA by means of RT-qPCR.

Results: Among the pets tested, 0/16 dogs and 2/15 cats were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, the two positive cats were owned by two unrelated asymptomatic veterinary students, which, therefore, post a warning to veterinarians worldwide.

Conclusion: The findings herein indicate that cats may act as sentinels for human cases, particularly sharing households with asymptomatic human cases. Although with small sampling and convenient recruiting, the presence of infected cats by SARS-CoV-2 was most likely due to close cat-human contact with positive owners, posting a human-animal health threat when pets share the same bed and interact with owners without protection, particularly during owner self-isolation. Thus, infected owners should follow the same human preventive guidelines with their pets to avoid spreading infection.

Keywords: Brazil, coronavirus, domestic animals, pandemic.