Natural Infection by SARS-CoV-2 in Companion Animals: A Review of Case Reports and Current Evidence of Their Role in the Epidemiology of COVID-19

Helio Autran de Morais; Andrea Pires Dos Santos; Naila Cannes do Nascimento; Louise Bach Kmetiuk; David Soeiro Barbosa; Paulo Eduardo Brandão; Ana Marcia Sá Guimarães; Christina Pettan-Brewer; Alexander Welker Biondo

doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.591216

Natural Infection by SARS-CoV-2 in Companion Animals: A Review of Case Reports and Current Evidence of Their Role in the Epidemiology of COVID-19

Front Vet Sci. 2020 Oct 27:7:591216. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.591216. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Helio Autran de Morais¹, Andrea Pires Dos Santos², Naila Cannes do Nascimento², Louise Bach Kmetiuk³, David Soeiro Barbosa⁴, Paulo Eduardo Brandão⁵, Ana Marcia Sá Guimarães⁶, Christina Pettan-Brewer⁷, Alexander Welker Biondo⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.
² Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.
³ Graduate College of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
⁴ Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁶ Laboratory of Applied Research in Mycobacteria, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁷ Department of Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
⁸ Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná State, Curitiba, Brazil.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is the causative infectious agent of the current pandemic. As researchers and health professionals are still learning the capabilities of this virus, public health concerns arise regarding the zoonotic potential of SARS-CoV-2. With millions of people detected with SARS-CoV-2 worldwide, reports of companion animals possibly infected with the virus started to emerge. Therefore, our aim is to review reported cases of animals naturally infected with SARS-CoV-2, particularly companion pets, shedding light on the role of these animals in the epidemiology of COVID-19.

Keywords: cats; coronavirus; dogs; pets; transmission.

Publication types

Review