Coronavirus in cat flea: findings and questions regarding COVID-19
Abstract The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected millions of people worldwide. Recent evidence raised the question about the possibility that cats may be a domestic host for SARS-CoV-2 with unknown implication...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-020-04292-y |
| _version_ | 1819195070574755840 |
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| author | Margarita Villar Isabel G. Fernández de Mera Sara Artigas-Jerónimo Marinela Contreras Christian Gortázar José de la Fuente |
| author_facet | Margarita Villar Isabel G. Fernández de Mera Sara Artigas-Jerónimo Marinela Contreras Christian Gortázar José de la Fuente |
| author_sort | Margarita Villar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected millions of people worldwide. Recent evidence raised the question about the possibility that cats may be a domestic host for SARS-CoV-2 with unknown implications in disease dissemination. Based on the fact that the domestic cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, are abundant ectoparasites infesting humans, companion animals and wildlife and that coronavirus-like agents have been identified in the ectoparasite tick vector, Ixodes uriae of seabirds, herein we considered the presence of coronaviruses in general and SARS-CoV-2 in particular in C. felis. We identified coronavirus-derived and cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme RNA/proteins in C. felis. Although current evidence suggests that pets are probably dead-end-hosts with small risk of transmission to humans, our results suggested that cat flea may act as biological and/or mechanical vectors of SARS-CoV. Although preliminary, these results indicate a possibility of ectoparasites acting as reservoirs and vectors of SARS-CoV and related beta-coronavirus although with little disease risk due to systemic transmission route, low viremia, virus attenuation or other unknown factors. These results support the need to further study the role of animal SARS-CoV-2 hosts and their ectoparasite vectors in COVID-19 disease spread. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T02:06:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d7d9a97723a343cfb142ff45be2be3a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T02:06:55Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-d7d9a97723a343cfb142ff45be2be3a02022-12-21T18:03:53ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052020-08-011311610.1186/s13071-020-04292-yCoronavirus in cat flea: findings and questions regarding COVID-19Margarita Villar0Isabel G. Fernández de Mera1Sara Artigas-Jerónimo2Marinela Contreras3Christian Gortázar4José de la Fuente5SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCMSaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCMSaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCMSaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCMSaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCMSaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCMAbstract The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected millions of people worldwide. Recent evidence raised the question about the possibility that cats may be a domestic host for SARS-CoV-2 with unknown implications in disease dissemination. Based on the fact that the domestic cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, are abundant ectoparasites infesting humans, companion animals and wildlife and that coronavirus-like agents have been identified in the ectoparasite tick vector, Ixodes uriae of seabirds, herein we considered the presence of coronaviruses in general and SARS-CoV-2 in particular in C. felis. We identified coronavirus-derived and cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme RNA/proteins in C. felis. Although current evidence suggests that pets are probably dead-end-hosts with small risk of transmission to humans, our results suggested that cat flea may act as biological and/or mechanical vectors of SARS-CoV. Although preliminary, these results indicate a possibility of ectoparasites acting as reservoirs and vectors of SARS-CoV and related beta-coronavirus although with little disease risk due to systemic transmission route, low viremia, virus attenuation or other unknown factors. These results support the need to further study the role of animal SARS-CoV-2 hosts and their ectoparasite vectors in COVID-19 disease spread.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-020-04292-yCoronavirusCOVID-19ArthropodFleaCatProteomics |
| spellingShingle | Margarita Villar Isabel G. Fernández de Mera Sara Artigas-Jerónimo Marinela Contreras Christian Gortázar José de la Fuente Coronavirus in cat flea: findings and questions regarding COVID-19 Parasites & Vectors Coronavirus COVID-19 Arthropod Flea Cat Proteomics |
| title | Coronavirus in cat flea: findings and questions regarding COVID-19 |
| title_full | Coronavirus in cat flea: findings and questions regarding COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | Coronavirus in cat flea: findings and questions regarding COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coronavirus in cat flea: findings and questions regarding COVID-19 |
| title_short | Coronavirus in cat flea: findings and questions regarding COVID-19 |
| title_sort | coronavirus in cat flea findings and questions regarding covid 19 |
| topic | Coronavirus COVID-19 Arthropod Flea Cat Proteomics |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-020-04292-y |
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