First detection of Omicron variant BA.4.1 lineage in dogs, Chile

SARS-CoV-2's rapid global spread caused the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020. Alongside humans, domestic dogs and cats are also susceptible to infection. However, limited reports on pet infections in Chile prompted a comprehensive study to address this knowledge gap. Between...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Veterinary quarterly 2024-12, Vol.44 (1), p.1-10
Main Authors: Agüero, B., Berrios, F., Pardo-Roa, C., Ariyama, N., Bennett, B., Medina, RA, Neira, V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cat Diseases
Cats
Chile - epidemiology
companion animals
COVID-19
COVID-19 - epidemiology
COVID-19 - veterinary
COVID-19 vaccines
Disease transmission
Dog Diseases - epidemiology
Dogs
Domestic animals
Households
Humans
Immunization
one heath
pandemic
Pandemics
Pets
Phylogeny
Plant viruses
Risk factors
SARS-CoV-2
SARS-CoV-2 - genetics
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Vaccination
Viral diseases
Zoonoses
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:SARS-CoV-2's rapid global spread caused the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020. Alongside humans, domestic dogs and cats are also susceptible to infection. However, limited reports on pet infections in Chile prompted a comprehensive study to address this knowledge gap. Between March 2021 and March 2023, the study assessed 65 pets (26 dogs and 39 cats) from 33 COVID-19+ households alongside 700 nasal swabs from animals in households with unknown COVID-19 status. Using RT-PCR, nasal, fecal, and environmental samples were analyzed for the virus. In COVID-19+ households, 6.06% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, belonging to 3 dogs, indicating human-to-pet transmission. Pets from households with unknown COVID-19 status tested negative for the virus. We obtained 2 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from animals, that belonged to Omicron BA.4.1 variant, marking the first report of pets infected with this lineage globally. Phylogenetic analysis showed these sequences clustered with human sequences collected in Chile during the same period when the BA.4.1 variant was prevalent in the country. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Chilean pets was relatively low, likely due to the country's high human vaccination rate. Our study highlights the importance of upholding and strengthening human vaccination strategies to mitigate the risk of interspecies transmission. It underscores the critical role of the One Health approach in addressing emerging zoonotic diseases, calling for further research on infection dynamics and risk factors for a comprehensive understanding.
ISSN:0165-2176
1875-5941
DOI:10.1080/01652176.2023.2298089