Could Shelter Cats Be Silent Carriers of SARS-CoV-2? New Study Finds Surprising Results!
A recent study has uncovered important findings about SARS-CoV-2 in shelter cats, raising new concerns about animal-to-human transmission and public health. Between July and December 2020, researchers tested 350 shelter cats using conjunctival and pharyngeal swabs, as well as serum samples, for the presence of the virus. While 58% of the swab samples tested negative for the virus, 2% were positive, and 41% were inconclusive. Notably, analysis of the inconclusive samples revealed potential base-pair deletions and substitutions in the RNA, suggesting a variant of SARS-CoV-2 or a related virus unique to cats.
The study’s findings are concerning because the virus was detected in shelter cats, which could potentially serve as a source for further virus spread, including human infections. However, no antibodies were found in the serum samples, indicating that these cats had not been exposed to the virus in a way that generated a measurable immune response.
These results suggest that while active SARS-CoV-2 infection in cats is relatively rare, they can still harbor the virus, potentially spreading it to humans. Additionally, the discovery of genetic mutations points to the possibility of a novel variant of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in cats, posing further questions about cross-species transmission and the One Health implications.
Veterinarians and public health officials should remain vigilant about the potential for shelter animals, especially cats, to act as reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, potentially complicating efforts to control the virus in humans.
Read full study here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0317104
