Pets may have COVID-19: Incidence and seroprevalence in symptomatic animals cared for in a private clinic

Abstract

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 and the antibodies produced by the immune response against this virus in animals has been the subject of several recent studies. These findings are of paramount importance for a better understanding of the COVID-19 transmission chain and the participation of pets in this process. In this study, domestic animals with flu-like symptoms and treated at a private veterinary clinic in the State of Sergipe were evaluated for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 and IgM and IgG antibodies produced against this virus. In addition, the presence of fecal antigens (parvovirus and animal coronavirus) was investigated. Most of the animals evaluated (93.5%) had detectable antigens for SARS-CoV-2 and reagents for the IgM antibody, with a significant association between these two parameters (****< 0.0001; with an odds ratio of 1573, 95% CI = 28.36 to 87243). No significant differences were observed between IgM levels between dogs and cats. Furthermore, we did not detect the presence of IgG against SARS-CoV-2 and animal coronavirus or parvovirus co-infections. This study reinforces the hypothesis that domestic animals are susceptible to infection by the new coronavirus, highlighting the importance of care in relation to the coexistence between Pets and humans and the possible chain of contact between pets and humans, which has not yet been evidenced.