Viruses (Aug 2023)

SARS-CoV-2 in Domestic UK Cats from Alpha to Omicron: Swab Surveillance and Case Reports

  • Sarah Jones,
  • Grace B. Tyson,
  • Richard J. Orton,
  • Katherine Smollett,
  • Federica Manna,
  • Kirsty Kwok,
  • Nicolás M. Suárez,
  • Nicola Logan,
  • Michael McDonald,
  • Andrea Bowie,
  • Ana Da Silva Filipe,
  • Brian J. Willett,
  • William Weir,
  • Margaret J. Hosie

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/v15081769
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 8
p. 1769

Abstract

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Although domestic cats are susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2, the role of the virus in causing feline disease is less well defined. We conducted a large-scale study to identify SARS-CoV-2 infections in UK pet cats, using active and passive surveillance. Remnant feline respiratory swab samples, submitted for other pathogen testing between May 2021 and February 2023, were screened using RT-qPCR. In addition, we appealed to veterinarians for swab samples from cats suspected of having clinical SARS-CoV-2 infections. Bespoke testing for SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies was also performed, on request, in suspected cases. One RT-qPCR-positive cat was identified by active surveillance (1/549, 0.18%), during the Delta wave (1/175, 0.57%). Passive surveillance detected one cat infected with the Alpha variant, and two of ten cats tested RT-qPCR-positive during the Delta wave. No cats tested RT-qPCR-positive after the emergence of Omicron BA.1 and its descendants although 374 were tested by active and eleven by passive surveillance. We describe four cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pet cats, identified by RT-qPCR and/or serology, that presented with a range of clinical signs, as well as their SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences. These cases demonstrate that, although uncommon in cats, a variety of clinical signs can occur.

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