Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated lesions in exotic and companion animals

Authors

David S. Rotstein, US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of Surveillance and Compliance, Rockville, MD, USA.
Sarah Peloquin, US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of Research, Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, Laurel, MD, USA.
Kathleen Proia, US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of Research, Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, Laurel, MD, USA.
Ellen Hart, US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of Surveillance and Compliance, Rockville, MD, USA.
Jeongha Lee, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Kristin K. Vyhnal, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Emi Sasaki, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Gayathriy Balamayooran, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA.
Javier Asin, University of California-Davis, San Bernardino, CA, USA.
Teresa Southard, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Laura Rothfeldt, Arkansas Department of Health, Zoonotic Disease Section, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Heather Venkat, Center for Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Peter Mundschenk, Arizona Department of Agriculture, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Darby McDermott, New Jersey Department of Health, Communicable Disease Service, Trenton, NJ, USA.
Beate Crossley, University of California-Davis, San Bernardino, CA, USA.
Pamela Ferro, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA.
Gabriel Gomez, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA.
Eileen H. Henderson, University of California-Davis, San Bernardino, CA, USA.
Paul Narayan, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA.
Daniel B. Paulsen, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Steven Rekant, USDA APHIS Veterinary Services, Riverdale, MD, USA.
Megan E. Schroeder, Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA.
Rachel M. Tell, USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, USA.
Mia Kim Torchetti, USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, USA.
Francisco A. Uzal, University of California-Davis, San Bernardino, CA, USA.
Ann Carpenter, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Ria Ghai, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2022

Abstract

Documented natural infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in exotic and companion animals following human exposures are uncommon. Those documented in animals are typically mild and self-limiting, and infected animals have only infrequently died or been euthanized. Through a coordinated One Health initiative, necropsies were conducted on 5 animals from different premises that were exposed to humans with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The combination of epidemiologic evidence of exposure and confirmatory real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing confirmed infection in 3 cats and a tiger. A dog was a suspect case based on epidemiologic evidence of exposure but tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. Four animals had respiratory clinical signs that developed 2 to 12 days after exposure. The dog had bronchointerstitial pneumonia and the tiger had bronchopneumonia; both had syncytial-like cells with no detection of SARS-CoV-2. Individual findings in the 3 cats included metastatic mammary carcinoma, congenital renal disease, and myocardial disease. Based on the necropsy findings and a standardized algorithm, SARS-CoV-2 infection was not considered the cause of death in any of the cases. Continued surveillance and necropsy examination of animals with fatal outcomes will further our understanding of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals and the potential role of the virus in development of lesions.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Veterinary pathology

First Page

707

Last Page

711

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