Susceptibility of Pets to SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Lessons from a Seroepidemiologic Survey of Cats and Dogs in Portugal

Betacoronavirus (beta-CoV) are positive single-stranded RNA viruses known to infect mammals. In 2019, a novel zoonotic beta-CoV emerged, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2. Although the most frequent SARS-CoV-2 transmission route is within humans, spillover from humans to domestic and wild animals has been reported, including cats (Felis catus), dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), and minks (Neovision vision). In order to understand the potential role of domestic animals in SARS-CoV-2 global transmission, as well their susceptibility to infection, a seroepidemiologic survey of cats and dogs in Portugal was conducted. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 15/69 (21.74%) cats and 7/148 (4.73%) dogs. Of the SARS-CoV-2 seropositive animals, 11/22 (50.00%) were possibly infected by human-to-animal transmission, and 5/15 (33.33%) cats were probably infected by cat-to-cat transmission. Moreover, one dog tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Data suggest that cats and dogs are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection in natural conditions. Hence, a one-health approach is crucial in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to understand the risk factors beyond infection in a human-animal environment interface.

Automated summary

Translation: Cats and dogs are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection in natural conditions, as shown by a seroepidemiologic survey conducted in Portugal. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 21.74% of cats and 4.73% of dogs, indicating the potential role of domestic animals in the global transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Human-to-animal and cat-to-cat transmission may also contribute to the spread of the virus among these animals.