First Evidence of Natural SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Domestic Rabbits

Fritz, Matthieu; Fonclare, Daphné de Riols de; Garcia, Déborah; Beurlet, Stéphanie; Becquart, Pierre; Rosolen, Serge G.; Briend‐Marchal, Alexandra; Leroy, Eric M.

doi:10.3390/vetsci9020049

Cited by 25 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Protein sequences and structural modeling analysis revealed that ACE2 is widely distributed in animal species, representing a potential risk of cross-species transmission for this virus ( 6 , 7 ). SARS-CoV-2 infection has been reported in companion animals including cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets and minks ( 8 , 9 ). Animal experimental infections indicate that cats can infect SARS-CoV-2.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serological survey of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals in China

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be transmitted from human to companion animals. The national wide serological surveillance against SARS-CoV-2 was conducted among pet animals, mainly in cats and dogs, 1 year after the first outbreak of COVID-19 in China. All sera were tested for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein. This late survey takes advantage of the short duration of the serological response in these animals to track recent episode of transmission. A total of 20,592 blood samples were obtained from 25 provinces across 7 geographical regions. The overall seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in cats was 0.015% (2/13397; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.0, 0.1). The virus infections in cats were only detected in Central (Hubei, 0.375%) and Eastern China (Zhejiang, 0.087%) with a seroprevalence estimated at 0.090 and 0.020%, respectively. In dogs, the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections was 0.014% (1/7159; 95% CI: 0.0, 0.1) in the entire nation, seropositive samples were limited to Beijing (0.070%) of Northern China with a prevalence of 0.054%. No seropositive cases were discovered in other geographic regions, nor in other companion animals analyzed in this study. These data reveal the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals, although transmission of the virus to domestic cats and dogs is low in China, continuous monitoring is helpful for the better understand of the virus transmission status and the effect on animals.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serological survey of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals in China

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The hepatitis E virus has been recently identified in rabbits [19]. In France, a recent study reported evidence of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in rabbits that was attributed to direct contact with human patients [20]. A recent study carried out in experimental conditions highlighted the evidence of viral shedding in infected rabbits, despite the low seroprevalence and the lack of clinical signs [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spreading of Pasteurella multocida Infection in a Pet Rabbit Breeding and Possible Implications on Healed Bunnies

D’Amico

Casalino

Bozzo

et al. 2022

Veterinary Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The number of pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and parrots has increased in European families. Social benefits to owners such as decreasing feelings of loneliness and anxiety are provided by pets which are also used in Animal-assisted Therapy (AAT). Nevertheless, human-animal interactions are also associated with health problems including allergies, asthma, and zoonosis. Rabbits may carry potential pathogens for humans. One of the most common bacteria that colonizes the oro-pharynx and the upper respiratory tract of rabbits is Pasteurella (P.) multocida. Transmission of the infection to humans results from scratches, licks, and bites but it also can occur from the inhalation of air particles containing the microorganism. Immunocompromised people or persons with pulmonary disorders are particularly susceptible to the infection. Infected rabbits may carry P. multocida with or without clinical signs. In this paper, the sensitivity to antibiotics and the invasiveness ability of P. multocida identified in a farm of pet rabbits affected by severe pasteurellosis were investigated. The strain was P. multocida belonging to capsular type A which is the type most often detected in humans. The identified strain was susceptible to the tested antibiotics, but it appeared equipped with several virulence genes which are responsible for fimbriae production, adhesion processes to host cells, enzyme production, and are involved in iron acquisition processes. These findings are of particular interest because rabbits recovered from pasteurellosis very often become carriers of the bacteria. Therefore, we suggest considering P. multocida screening in the routine medical checks of rabbits, especially if they are meant to be companion animals for children and elder people, given that the transmission of the pathogen cannot be excluded.

show abstract

“…The use of young, immunocompetent, and healthy New Zealand White rabbits in this study, however, may not reflect virus shedding and disease in other rabbit breeds or rabbits at different ages [ 38 ]. A recent study reported the first evidence of natural SARS-CoV-2 infections among domestic rabbits in France, most likely acquired from a COVID-19-positive owner [ 39 ]. However, it is likely that rabbits are quite poorly susceptible to the SARS-CoV-2 infection.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Hamsters a Suitable Model for Evaluating the Immunogenicity of RBD-Based Anti-COVID-19 Subunit Vaccines?

Merkuleva

Щербаков

Borgoyakova

et al. 2022

Viruses

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Currently, SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding-domain (RBD)-based vaccines are considered one of the most effective weapons against COVID-19. During the first step of assessing vaccine immunogenicity, a mouse model is often used. In this paper, we tested the use of five experimental animals (mice, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, and chickens) for RBD immunogenicity assessments. The humoral immune response was evaluated by ELISA and virus-neutralization assays. The data obtained show hamsters to be the least suitable candidates for RBD immunogenicity testing and, hence, assessing the protective efficacy of RBD-based vaccines.

show abstract

First Evidence of Natural SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Domestic Rabbits

Cited by 25 publications

References 15 publications

Serological survey of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals in China

Serological survey of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals in China

Spreading of Pasteurella multocida Infection in a Pet Rabbit Breeding and Possible Implications on Healed Bunnies

Are Hamsters a Suitable Model for Evaluating the Immunogenicity of RBD-Based Anti-COVID-19 Subunit Vaccines?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About