Evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 Exposure in Cats and Dogs From Households in Romania and Long‐Term Specific Seroconversion in Cats
ABSTRACT Introduction The COVID‐19 pandemic underscored the need to understand the zoonotic transmission of pathogens. SARS‐CoV‐2 has been reported to be transmitted from humans to pets, including cats and dogs, particularly after close contact with infected individuals. Studies have shown that cats...
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Wiley
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70358 |
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| author | Luanda Elena Oslobanu Luciana Alexandra Crivei Gheorghe Savuta Laro Gómez‐Marcos Pablo Nogales‐Altozano José M. Rojas Noemí Sevilla |
| author_facet | Luanda Elena Oslobanu Luciana Alexandra Crivei Gheorghe Savuta Laro Gómez‐Marcos Pablo Nogales‐Altozano José M. Rojas Noemí Sevilla |
| author_sort | Luanda Elena Oslobanu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Introduction The COVID‐19 pandemic underscored the need to understand the zoonotic transmission of pathogens. SARS‐CoV‐2 has been reported to be transmitted from humans to pets, including cats and dogs, particularly after close contact with infected individuals. Studies have shown that cats are more susceptible to natural infection and can transmit the virus to other cats and humans. The zoonotic transmission route represents a risk for animal health workers. Despite global reports, data from Romania remain sparse. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 specific antibodies in household dogs and cats in Romania during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods The study was conducted at a veterinary clinic in Iasi City, Romania, from March 2020 to December 2022. Blood samples were collected from 84 cats and 82 dogs that had been in contact with COVID‐19‐positive owners. Plasma samples were tested for anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies using an ELISA test, followed by confirmation with a seroneutralisation (SN) assay. The SN assay used the SARS‐CoV‐2 MAD6 strain and Omicron strain to determine neutralising antibody titers. Results ELISA testing showed a seroprevalence of 9.5% in cats and 11% in dogs. Further SN assay testing confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 specific antibodies in 9.4% of cats and 2.4% of dogs. One cat maintained antibodies for over a year, though with reduced titers. Most cats' antibodies did not cross‐react with the Omicron strain, indicating limited cross‐reactivity. The study highlighted higher seroprevalence and antibody titers in cats compared to dogs, likely due to more efficient viral replication in cats. Conclusions This study provides the first serological evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 exposure in household pets during the pandemic in Romania, with findings suggesting cats are more susceptible to infection from their owners than dogs. The cats that were living in households in one area of the city were prone to be infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 from their owners and high levels of seroconversion were detected. These results align with global reports, demonstrating that cats are particularly susceptible to SARS‐CoV‐2 when living with infected owners. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d68a125fbccb4cc49f3445b9a0fa5c0f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2053-1095 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-d68a125fbccb4cc49f3445b9a0fa5c0f2025-08-20T03:47:58ZengWileyVeterinary Medicine and Science2053-10952025-05-01113n/an/a10.1002/vms3.70358Evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 Exposure in Cats and Dogs From Households in Romania and Long‐Term Specific Seroconversion in CatsLuanda Elena Oslobanu0Luciana Alexandra Crivei1Gheorghe Savuta2Laro Gómez‐Marcos3Pablo Nogales‐Altozano4José M. Rojas5Noemí Sevilla6Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases Zoonoses and Food Safety “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences Iași RomaniaFaculty of Veterinary Medicine Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases Zoonoses and Food Safety “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences Iași RomaniaFaculty of Veterinary Medicine Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases Zoonoses and Food Safety “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences Iași RomaniaCentro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CISA‐INIA‐CSIC), Valdeolmos Madrid SpainCentro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CISA‐INIA‐CSIC), Valdeolmos Madrid SpainCentro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CISA‐INIA‐CSIC), Valdeolmos Madrid SpainCentro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CISA‐INIA‐CSIC), Valdeolmos Madrid SpainABSTRACT Introduction The COVID‐19 pandemic underscored the need to understand the zoonotic transmission of pathogens. SARS‐CoV‐2 has been reported to be transmitted from humans to pets, including cats and dogs, particularly after close contact with infected individuals. Studies have shown that cats are more susceptible to natural infection and can transmit the virus to other cats and humans. The zoonotic transmission route represents a risk for animal health workers. Despite global reports, data from Romania remain sparse. This study aimed to evaluate the presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 specific antibodies in household dogs and cats in Romania during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods The study was conducted at a veterinary clinic in Iasi City, Romania, from March 2020 to December 2022. Blood samples were collected from 84 cats and 82 dogs that had been in contact with COVID‐19‐positive owners. Plasma samples were tested for anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies using an ELISA test, followed by confirmation with a seroneutralisation (SN) assay. The SN assay used the SARS‐CoV‐2 MAD6 strain and Omicron strain to determine neutralising antibody titers. Results ELISA testing showed a seroprevalence of 9.5% in cats and 11% in dogs. Further SN assay testing confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 specific antibodies in 9.4% of cats and 2.4% of dogs. One cat maintained antibodies for over a year, though with reduced titers. Most cats' antibodies did not cross‐react with the Omicron strain, indicating limited cross‐reactivity. The study highlighted higher seroprevalence and antibody titers in cats compared to dogs, likely due to more efficient viral replication in cats. Conclusions This study provides the first serological evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 exposure in household pets during the pandemic in Romania, with findings suggesting cats are more susceptible to infection from their owners than dogs. The cats that were living in households in one area of the city were prone to be infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 from their owners and high levels of seroconversion were detected. These results align with global reports, demonstrating that cats are particularly susceptible to SARS‐CoV‐2 when living with infected owners.https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70358zooanthroponotic transmissionlong term seroconversion in catsRomaniaSARS‐CoV‐2 in petsseroneutralisation |
| spellingShingle | Luanda Elena Oslobanu Luciana Alexandra Crivei Gheorghe Savuta Laro Gómez‐Marcos Pablo Nogales‐Altozano José M. Rojas Noemí Sevilla Evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 Exposure in Cats and Dogs From Households in Romania and Long‐Term Specific Seroconversion in Cats Veterinary Medicine and Science zooanthroponotic transmission long term seroconversion in cats Romania SARS‐CoV‐2 in pets seroneutralisation |
| title | Evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 Exposure in Cats and Dogs From Households in Romania and Long‐Term Specific Seroconversion in Cats |
| title_full | Evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 Exposure in Cats and Dogs From Households in Romania and Long‐Term Specific Seroconversion in Cats |
| title_fullStr | Evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 Exposure in Cats and Dogs From Households in Romania and Long‐Term Specific Seroconversion in Cats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 Exposure in Cats and Dogs From Households in Romania and Long‐Term Specific Seroconversion in Cats |
| title_short | Evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 Exposure in Cats and Dogs From Households in Romania and Long‐Term Specific Seroconversion in Cats |
| title_sort | evidence of sars cov 2 exposure in cats and dogs from households in romania and long term specific seroconversion in cats |
| topic | zooanthroponotic transmission long term seroconversion in cats Romania SARS‐CoV‐2 in pets seroneutralisation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70358 |
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