1 research outputs found
Molecular screening of SARSāCoVā2 in dogs and cats from households with infected owners diagnosed with COVIDā19 during Delta and Omicron variant waves in Iran
Abstract Objective The emergence of SARSāCoVā2 infection in dogs and cats in different countries worldwide raises concerns that pets are at a higher risk for spreading or transmitting of SARSāCoVā2 to humans and other pets and increased the research works about the zoonotic aspects and natural routes of infection in companion animals. The current study aimed to detect the SARSāCoVā2 in household dogs and cats living with COVIDā19 positive owners. Methods Deep oropharyngeal and rectal swabs were collected from 30 household pets (20 cats and 10 dogs) living with COVIDā19 positive owners from April 2021 to 2022 in Kerman, Iran. All dogsā and catsā samples were tested by realātime reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for detection of SARSāCoVā2. Results Two household cats out of 20 examined (10%) were positive for SARSāCoVā2, whereas none of the examined dogs were positive for SARSāCoVā2. The two cats positive for SARSāCoVā2 were symptomatic and suffered from severe anorexia with maximum contact with their infected owners. Conclusion This study reported the presence of SARSāCoVā2 in household cats in close contact with COVIDā19 positive owners during the circulation of new SARSāCoVā2 variants (Delta and Omicron) in Iran and suggested that the transmission may have occurred from owners to their cats. Therefore, infected owners should eagerly limit close contact with their pets during COVIDā19 illness