Genomic investigation of a household SARS-CoV-2 disease cluster in Arizona involving a cat, dog, and pet owner

Abstract

Arizona's COVID-19 and Pets Program is a prospective surveillance study being conducted to characterize how SARS-CoV-2 impacts companion animals living in households with SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals. Among the enrolled pets, we identified a SARS-CoV-2-infected cat and dog from the same household; both animals were asymptomatic but had close contact with the symptomatic and SARS-CoV-2-positive owner. Whole genome sequencing of animal and owner specimens revealed identical viral genomes of the B.1.575 lineage, suggesting zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to at least one pet. This is the first report of the B.1.575 lineage in companion animals. Genetically linking SARS-CoV-2 between people and animals, and tracking changes in SARS-CoV-2 genomes is essential to detect any cross-species SARS-CoV-2 transmission that may lead to more transmissible or severe variants that can affect humans. Surveillance studies, including genomic analyses of owner and pet specimens, are needed to further our understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 impacts companion animals.

Domestic Environment and Gut Microbiota: Lessons from Pet Dogs

“…Previously, Glickman et al reported a higher risk of mesothelioma in dogs whose owners are exposed to asbestos, confirming the sentinel role of the pet dog in identifying environmental health hazards for humans [ 19 ]. This sentinel role has also been demonstrated for exposure to various environmental toxins, such as diethylhexyl phthalate, polychlorinated biphenyl 153 and lead [ 20 , 21 ].…”

Detection and Interspecies Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant (AY.3) in Feces from a Domestic Cat and Human Samples

“…While fecal samples from the infected cat contained relatively high levels of viral genetic material, SARS-CoV-2 was not detected on the oropharyngeal swab collected on the day of presentation to the veterinary hospital. This has been reported once previously in companion animals [31]. Transmission and pathophysiology appear to differ among species and may be responsible for this discrepancy, although one study found that over half of human patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 continued to test positive on fecal samples for approximately 11 days after respiratory tract samples tested negative [32].…”

“…The discovery of a delta variant lineage AY.3 sequence in a feline sample, taken together with detection of delta variant lineage B.1.617.2 in non-human animal species, suggests that interspecies transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs among multiple delta variants. Recently, identical sequences of lineage B.1.575 were discovered in a pet dog and cat and their owner [31], demonstrating that minimal viral evolution is required to overcome species barriers in at least one variant. Because we do not have the infected owner’s SARS-CoV-2 sequence, we cannot determine whether the mutations found in the feline-derived sequence originate from the presumptive infective human, or whether they arose with the species barrier jump.…”

Transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 Delta variant (B.1.617.2) from a fully vaccinated human to a canine in Georgia, July 2021

“…Delta variant is associated with increased transmission rates in humans (CDC, 2021b , 2021c ; Li et al., 2022 ); the estimated average reproduction number (R0), or the expected number of secondary cases from one primary case in a susceptible population, is 5.1, significantly higher than early pandemic strains (estimated R0 2.79; Liu & Rocklöv, 2021 ). Whether the genomic changes facilitating transmission in humans also result in increased spread within other species is unknown but as SARS‐CoV‐2 variants emerge in human populations, these variants are expected to be identified in animals (Hamer, Ghai, et al., 2021 ; Hamer, Pauvolid‐Corrêa, et al., 2021 ; Yaglom et al., 2021 ).…”