SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Antibody Response in a Symptomatic Cat from Italy with Intestinal B-Cell Lymphoma
Since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was first identified in early 2020, rare cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pet cats have been reported worldwide. Some reports of cats with SARS-CoV-2 showed self-limiting respiratory or gastrointestin...
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/3/527 |
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| author | Julia Klaus Carlo Palizzotto Eric Zini Marina L. Meli Chiara Leo Herman Egberink Shan Zhao Regina Hofmann-Lehmann |
| author_facet | Julia Klaus Carlo Palizzotto Eric Zini Marina L. Meli Chiara Leo Herman Egberink Shan Zhao Regina Hofmann-Lehmann |
| author_sort | Julia Klaus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was first identified in early 2020, rare cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pet cats have been reported worldwide. Some reports of cats with SARS-CoV-2 showed self-limiting respiratory or gastrointestinal disease after suspected human-to-feline transmission via close contact with humans with SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we investigated a cat with SARS-CoV-2 that was presented to a private animal clinic in Northern Italy in May 2020 in a weak clinical condition due to an underlying intestinal B-cell lymphoma. The cat developed signs of respiratory tract disease, including a sneeze, a cough and ocular discharge, three days after an oropharyngeal swab tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA using two real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays for the envelope (<i>E</i>) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (<i>RdRp</i>) gene. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was detectable prior to the onset of clinical signs. Five and six months after positive molecular results, the serological testing substantiated the presence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the cat with the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies and neutralizing activity in a surrogate virus neutralization assay (sVNT). To the best of our knowledge, this extends the known duration of seropositivity of SARS-CoV-2 in a cat. Our study provides further evidence that cats are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 under natural conditions and strengthens the assumption that comorbidities may play a role in the development of clinical disease. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:59:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f05e59070b4c407894f08e09f556e458 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:59:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-f05e59070b4c407894f08e09f556e4582023-11-21T11:40:11ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-03-0113352710.3390/v13030527SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Antibody Response in a Symptomatic Cat from Italy with Intestinal B-Cell LymphomaJulia Klaus0Carlo Palizzotto1Eric Zini2Marina L. Meli3Chiara Leo4Herman Egberink5Shan Zhao6Regina Hofmann-Lehmann7Clinical Laboratory, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandAniCura Istituto Veterinario Novara, Strada Provinciale 9, 28060 Granozzo con Monticello, Novara, ItalyAniCura Istituto Veterinario Novara, Strada Provinciale 9, 28060 Granozzo con Monticello, Novara, ItalyClinical Laboratory, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandAniCura Istituto Veterinario Novara, Strada Provinciale 9, 28060 Granozzo con Monticello, Novara, ItalyDepartment of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, 3584 CL Utrecht, The NetherlandsDepartment of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, 3584 CL Utrecht, The NetherlandsClinical Laboratory, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandSince the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was first identified in early 2020, rare cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pet cats have been reported worldwide. Some reports of cats with SARS-CoV-2 showed self-limiting respiratory or gastrointestinal disease after suspected human-to-feline transmission via close contact with humans with SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we investigated a cat with SARS-CoV-2 that was presented to a private animal clinic in Northern Italy in May 2020 in a weak clinical condition due to an underlying intestinal B-cell lymphoma. The cat developed signs of respiratory tract disease, including a sneeze, a cough and ocular discharge, three days after an oropharyngeal swab tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA using two real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays for the envelope (<i>E</i>) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (<i>RdRp</i>) gene. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was detectable prior to the onset of clinical signs. Five and six months after positive molecular results, the serological testing substantiated the presence of a SARS-CoV-2 infection in the cat with the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies and neutralizing activity in a surrogate virus neutralization assay (sVNT). To the best of our knowledge, this extends the known duration of seropositivity of SARS-CoV-2 in a cat. Our study provides further evidence that cats are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 under natural conditions and strengthens the assumption that comorbidities may play a role in the development of clinical disease.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/3/527SARS-CoV-2domestic catRT-qPCRcomorbiditycompanion animalB-cell lymphoma |
| spellingShingle | Julia Klaus Carlo Palizzotto Eric Zini Marina L. Meli Chiara Leo Herman Egberink Shan Zhao Regina Hofmann-Lehmann SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Antibody Response in a Symptomatic Cat from Italy with Intestinal B-Cell Lymphoma Viruses SARS-CoV-2 domestic cat RT-qPCR comorbidity companion animal B-cell lymphoma |
| title | SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Antibody Response in a Symptomatic Cat from Italy with Intestinal B-Cell Lymphoma |
| title_full | SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Antibody Response in a Symptomatic Cat from Italy with Intestinal B-Cell Lymphoma |
| title_fullStr | SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Antibody Response in a Symptomatic Cat from Italy with Intestinal B-Cell Lymphoma |
| title_full_unstemmed | SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Antibody Response in a Symptomatic Cat from Italy with Intestinal B-Cell Lymphoma |
| title_short | SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Antibody Response in a Symptomatic Cat from Italy with Intestinal B-Cell Lymphoma |
| title_sort | sars cov 2 infection and antibody response in a symptomatic cat from italy with intestinal b cell lymphoma |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 domestic cat RT-qPCR comorbidity companion animal B-cell lymphoma |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/3/527 |
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