TY - JOUR
T1 - SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease and transmission in domestic cats
AU - Gaudreault, Natasha N.
AU - Trujillo, Jessie D.
AU - Carossino, Mariano
AU - Meekins, David A.
AU - Morozov, Igor
AU - Madden, Daniel W.
AU - Indran, Sabarish V.
AU - Bold, Dashzeveg
AU - Balaraman, Velmurugan
AU - Kwon, Taeyong
AU - Artiaga, Bianca Libanori
AU - Cool, Konner
AU - García-Sastre, Adolfo
AU - Ma, Wenjun
AU - Wilson, William C.
AU - Henningson, Jamie
AU - Balasuriya, Udeni B.R.
AU - Richt, Juergen A.
N1 - Funding Information:
for this study was provided through grants from NBAF Transition Funds, the NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance under contract number HHSN 272201400006C and the Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases under grant number HSHQDC 16-A-B0006 to JAR. This study was also partially supported by the Louisiana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine start-up fund (PG 002165) to UBRB and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (58-32000-009-00D) to WCW, by the Center for Research for Influenza Pathogenesis (CRIP), a NIAID supported Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS, contract # HHSN272201400008C), and by the generous support of the JPB Foundation, the Open Philanthropy Project (research grant 2020–215611 (5384)) and anonymous donors to AG-S. We thank the staff of KSU Biosecurity Research Institute, the histological laboratory at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (KSVDL), members of the Histology and Immunohistochemistry sections at the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LADDL), the CMG staff and Gleyder Roman-Sosa, Yonghai Li, Emily Gilbert-Esparza, Chester McDowell at KSU, and Drs. James MacLachlan and Dennis Wilson at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis for their expert pathology consultations. The SARS-CoV-2 strain USA-WA1/2020 was obtained through BEI Resources (catalogue # NR-52281). Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group, on behalf of Shanghai Shangyixun Cultural Communication Co., Ltd.
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and responsible for the current pandemic. Recent SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility studies in cats show that the virus can replicate in these companion animals and transmit to other cats. Here, we present an in-depth study of SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease and transmission in domestic cats. Cats were challenged with SARS-CoV-2 via intranasal and oral routes. One day post challenge (DPC), two sentinel cats were introduced. Animals were monitored for clinical signs, clinicopathological abnormalities and viral shedding. Postmortem examinations were performed at 4, 7 and 21 DPC. Viral RNA was not detected in blood but transiently in nasal, oropharyngeal and rectal swabs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as well as various tissues. Tracheobronchoadenitis of submucosal glands with the presence of viral RNA and antigen was observed in airways of the infected cats. Serology showed that both, principals and sentinels, developed antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. All animals were clinically asymptomatic during the course of the study and capable of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to sentinels. The results of this study are critical for understanding the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 in a naturally susceptible host species, and for risk assessment.
AB - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and responsible for the current pandemic. Recent SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility studies in cats show that the virus can replicate in these companion animals and transmit to other cats. Here, we present an in-depth study of SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease and transmission in domestic cats. Cats were challenged with SARS-CoV-2 via intranasal and oral routes. One day post challenge (DPC), two sentinel cats were introduced. Animals were monitored for clinical signs, clinicopathological abnormalities and viral shedding. Postmortem examinations were performed at 4, 7 and 21 DPC. Viral RNA was not detected in blood but transiently in nasal, oropharyngeal and rectal swabs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as well as various tissues. Tracheobronchoadenitis of submucosal glands with the presence of viral RNA and antigen was observed in airways of the infected cats. Serology showed that both, principals and sentinels, developed antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. All animals were clinically asymptomatic during the course of the study and capable of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to sentinels. The results of this study are critical for understanding the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 in a naturally susceptible host species, and for risk assessment.
KW - COVID-19
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - cats
KW - felines
KW - susceptibility
KW - transmission
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85093119659&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/22221751.2020.1833687
DO - 10.1080/22221751.2020.1833687
M3 - Article
C2 - 33028154
AN - SCOPUS:85093119659
SN - 2222-1751
VL - 9
SP - 2322
EP - 2332
JO - Emerging Microbes and Infections
JF - Emerging Microbes and Infections
IS - 1
ER -