Whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from the initial cases of domestic cat infections in Canada

Asma Sultana; Dorothee Bienzle; Scott Weese; Brad Pickering; Peter Kruczkiewicz; Greg Smith; Mathieu Pinette; Oliver Lung

doi:10.1128/mra.01295-23

Whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from the initial cases of domestic cat infections in Canada

Microbiol Resour Announc. 2024 Apr 11;13(4):e0129523. doi: 10.1128/mra.01295-23. Epub 2024 Feb 27.

Authors

Asma Sultana^{1

2}, Dorothee Bienzle³, Scott Weese³, Brad Pickering^{2

4}, Peter Kruczkiewicz², Greg Smith², Mathieu Pinette², Oliver Lung^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
² National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
³ Ontario Veterinary College, Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses, University of Guelph, Ontario, Guelph, Canada.
⁴ Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Abstract

Two cat nasal swabs from Canada's earliest confirmed SARS-CoV-2 positive domestic cats were sequenced to over 99% SARS-CoV-2 genome coverage. One cat had lineage A.23.1 SARS-CoV-2 not reported before in animals. Both sequences have multiple spike gene mutations and clustered closely with human-derived sequences in the global SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetic tree.

Keywords: SARS-CoV2; WGS; cat; pets, coronavirus.