Following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic peak in
Ariano Irpino, Campania region (Italy), we tested cattle for the
presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)
on a cattle farm at which, prior to the investigation, 13 of the 20
farmworkers showed COVID-19-like symptoms, and one of them died.
Twenty-four cows were sampled to detect SARS-CoV-2. All nasal and rectal
swabs and milk samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Of the 24
collected serum samples, 11 were positive for SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid
protein, 14 were positive for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and 13 were
positive for SARS-COV-2-neutralising antibodies; all samples were
negative for Bovine Coronavirus (BCoV), another betacoronavirus. To our
knowledge, this is the first report of natural serological evidence of
SARS-CoV-2 infection in cattle. We hypothesise that this may be a case
of reverse zoonosis. However, the role of cattle in SARS-CoV-2 infection
and transmission seems to be negligible.
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