1. Frequency of respiratory pathogens and SARS-CoV-2 in canine and feline samples submitted for respiratory testing in early 2020
- Author
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T Waterhouse, M A Seguin, H T Michael, and M Estrada
- Subjects
Paper ,Asia ,040301 veterinary sciences ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,viruses ,medicine.disease_cause ,Cat Diseases ,0403 veterinary science ,Dogs ,Mycoplasma ,medicine ,Animals ,Clinical significance ,Dog Diseases ,Respiratory system ,Small Animals ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,Feline calicivirus ,CATS ,Bordetella bronchiseptica ,biology ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,fungi ,0402 animal and dairy science ,Respiratory Pathogen Panel ,virus diseases ,COVID-19 ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,biology.organism_classification ,040201 dairy & animal science ,Virology ,respiratory tract diseases ,Europe ,Papers ,Cats ,business - Abstract
Objectives The emergence of the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has necessitated evaluation of the potential for SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats. Using a large data set, we evaluated the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens in samples submitted for respiratory testing from mid-February to mid-April 2020. Materials and methods A SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR was developed and validated. A subset of canine and feline samples submitted for respiratory pathogen panel testing to reference laboratories in Asia, Europe, and North America were also tested for SARS-CoV-2. The frequency of respiratory pathogens was compared for the February-April period of 2020 and 2019. Results Samples from 4616 patients were included in the study and 44% of canine and 69% of feline samples were PCR positive with Mycoplasma cynos and Bordetella bronchiseptica and Mycoplasma felis and feline calicivirus, respectively. No SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified. Positive results for respiratory samples were similar between years. Clinical significance The data in this study suggest that during the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in early 2020, respiratory diseases in tested pet cats and dogs were caused by common veterinary pathogens and that SARS-CoV-2 infections in dogs and cats are rare.
- Published
- 2020