Determining the role of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in the death of domestic pets: 10 cases (2020–2021)

Abstract

To establish a pathoepidemiological model to evaluate the role of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first 10 companion animals that died while infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the US. ANIMALS 10 cats and dogs that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and died or were euthanized in the US between March 2020 and January 2021. PROCEDURESA standardized algorithm was developed to direct case investigations, determine the necessity of certain diagnostic procedures, and evaluate the role, if any, that SARS-CoV-2 infection played in the animals' course of disease and death. Using clinical and diagnostic information collected by state animal health officials, state public health veterinarians, and other state and local partners, this algorithm was applied to each animal case. RESULTS SARS-CoV-2 was an incidental finding in 8 animals, was suspected to have contributed to the severity of clinical signs leading to euthanasia in 1 dog, and was the primary reason for death for 1 cat. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCEThis report provides the global community with a standardized process for directing case investigations, determining the necessity of certain diagnostic procedures, and determining the clinical significance of SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals with fatal outcomes and provides evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can, in rare circumstances, cause or contribute to death in pets.S ARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is be-From the CDC,

Transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 from humans to a 16‐year‐old domestic cat with comorbidities in Pennsylvania, USA

“…Serious disease outcomes have been documented when advanced age and or co‐morbidities are contributing factors in humans with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. The SARS‐CoV‐2 infected cat described in this study suffered from both age‐related changes and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy along with other co‐morbidities as also reported previously in this and other cats (Carpenter et al., 2021 ). SARS‐CoV‐2 infection was not associated with virus‐mediated tissue damage in this cat and was not the primary cause of morbidity, however, further research is needed to understand SARS‐CoV‐2 presentation and contribution in animals with severe underlying disease.…”

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated lesions in exotic and companion animals

“…4 Based on this algorithm, SARS-CoV-2 infection was not considered as the primary reason for euthanasia or death in any of the cases, similar to the findings of the study in which the algorithm was developed. 4 Comorbidities in the current SARS-CoV-2-confirmed cases included metastatic mammary carcinoma, myocardial disease, renal disease, and bacterial bronchopneumonia. From prior reports, symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected dogs and cats have had transitory respiratory clinical signs as observed in cases 2 to 4.…”

SARS-CoV-2 infection in free roaming dogs from the Amazonian jungle

“…Differences in surveillance study detection, either serology or RT-qPCR, in domestic animals could reflect that the infective period between the human diagnosis and animal diagnosis is not known [ [8] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] , [26] , [27] , [28] ]. Nevertheless, although not surveillance studies, there are two reports involving necropsies of dogs and cats diagnosed with COVID-19 by RT-qPCR [ 29 , 30 ].…”