Anthropogenic Infection of Cats during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

Hosie, Margaret J.; Hofmann‐Lehmann, Regina; Hartmann, Katrin; Egberink, Herman; Truyen, Uwe; Addie, Diane; Belák, Sándór; Boucraut-Baralon, Corine; Frymus, Tadeusz; Lloret, Albert; Lutz, Hans; Marsilio, Fulvio; Pennisi, Maria Grazia; Tasker, Séverine; Thiry, Étienne; Möstl, Karin

doi:10.3390/v13020185

Cited by 80 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…There has been much speculation as well as some indications that cats could be a vector of Covid-19 and transmit the virus at least within a family. [33][34][35] Our data seem to support this possibility. The nonsigni cant positive effect of cat keeping was present in respondents from multimember families, and negative, though again nonsigni cant, effect of cat keeping was observed in respondents who live alone.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Toxoplasmosis: An important risk factor for acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection and a severe course of Covid-19 disease, a cross-sectional study

Flegr

2021

Preprint

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Background Latent toxoplasmosis, i.e. a lifelong infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, affects about a third of human population worldwide. In the past ten years, numerous studies had shown that infected subjects have a significantly higher incidence of mental and physical health problems and are more prone to exhibiting the adverse effects of various diseases. Methods A cross-sectional internet study was performed on a population of 4,499 Toxoplasma-free and 786 Toxoplasma-infected subjects and looked for factors which positively or negatively affect the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and likelihood of a severe course of Covid-19. Results Logistic regression and partial Kendall correlation controlled for sex, age, and size of the place of residence showed that latent toxoplasmosis had the strongest effect on the risk of infection (OR = 1·50) before sport (OR = 1·30), and borreliosis (1·27). It also had the strongest effect on the risk of severe course of infection (Tau = 0·146), before autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, male sex, keeping a cat, being overweight, borreliosis, higher age, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Toxoplasmosis augmented the adverse effects of other risk factors but was not the proximal cause of the effect of cat keeping (in the form of higher likelihood of Covid infection and higher severity of the course of infection), which was observed especially in a subset of Toxoplasma-infected subjects (Tau = 0·153). Effects of keeping a cat were detected only in subjects from multi-member families, suggesting that a cat could a vector for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 within a family. Conclussions Toxoplasmosis is currently not considered a risk factor for Covid-19 and Toxoplasma-infected subjects are neither informed about their higher risks nor prioritised in vaccination programs. Because toxoplasmosis affects a large segment of the human population, its impact on Covid-19-associated effects on public health could be considerable.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Toxoplasmosis: An important risk factor for acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection and a severe course of Covid-19 disease, a cross-sectional study

Flegr

2021

Preprint

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“…Although the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is not de nitively known, it is reported to have an animal source (a bat or pangolin) and is therefore accepted as a zoonotic infection (Andersen et al, 2020). When the SARS-CoV-1 infection, which has a history similar to SARS-CoV-2, was rst described in 2002, palm civet cats were incidentally found to be an occasional source of human infections (Hosie et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An in vitro study regarding an animal model for the attenuation of SARS-CoV-2: Are cats possible candidates?

Oğuzoğlu

Hanifehnezhad

2021

Preprint

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Although the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is not definitively known, this virus is seen that adapted to human. It is known yet, several animal species are naturally susceptible for SARS-CoV-2, including pets. In this in vitro study, it was investigated whether cats could have a host status in this infection. It was also following questioned, whether cats could be an animal model for vaccine attenuation. Felis catus whole fetus 4 (FCWF-4) and Vero cells were used in this study for propagation of SARS-CoV-2-Ank1 strain. Virus replication was controlled by immunohistochemistry and real time pcr techniques. While an increase in virus titer was detected in the serious passages made in Vero cells, no increase was observed in the FCWF-4 cell. The results were confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Due to the fact that SARS CoV 2 is a zoonotic potential, its presence in domestic animals frequently investigated in current studies. Cats can get this virus from infected owners with whom they share the same habitat. The results of this study also showed that cats are not candidates to be a natural source of infection for SARS-CoV-2.

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“…The seroprevalence screening performed among pets living in SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive households in Italy demonstrated that 3.3% of dogs and 5.8% of cats were sero-positive ( Patterson et al, 2020 ). The high seroprevalence and SARS‐CoV‐2 detection rates in cats and to some extent in dogs indicate that these animals can be infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 ( Fritz et al, 2021 ; Hamer et al, 2020 ; Hosie et al, 2021 ; Leroy et al, 2020 ). Recent reports also describe sporadic cases of natural infection in household pet ferrets ( Mustela putorius furo ) in Slovenia and Spain ( Giner et al, 2021 ; OIE, 2021a ; ProMED-mail, 2020d ).…”

Section: Sars-cov-2 Reverse Zoonosis and Secondary Zoonosismentioning

confidence: 99%

Zoonotic and Reverse Zoonotic Transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2

et al. 2021

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The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the first known pandemic caused by a coronavirus. Its causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), appears to be capable of infecting different mammalian species. Recent detections of this virus in pet, zoo, wild, and farm animals have compelled inquiry regarding the zoonotic (animal-to-human) and reverse zoonotic (human-to-animal) transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 with the potential of COVID-19 pandemic evolving into a panzootic. It is important to monitor the global spread of disease and to assess the significance of genomic changes to support prevention and control efforts during a pandemic. An understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology provides opportunities to prevent the risk of repeated re-infection of humans and requires a robust One Health-based investigation. This review paper describes the known properties and the existing gaps in scientific knowledge about the zoonotic and reverse zoonotic transmissibility of the novel virus SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 disease it causes.

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Anthropogenic Infection of Cats during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 80 publications

References 70 publications

Toxoplasmosis: An important risk factor for acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection and a severe course of Covid-19 disease, a cross-sectional study

Toxoplasmosis: An important risk factor for acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection and a severe course of Covid-19 disease, a cross-sectional study

An in vitro study regarding an animal model for the attenuation of SARS-CoV-2: Are cats possible candidates?

Zoonotic and Reverse Zoonotic Transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2

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