Serosurveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals in Sarawak, Malaysia

SARS-CoV-2 is a zoonotic betacoronavirus that was first reported at the dawn of 2019 in Wuhan, China and has since spread globally, causing an ongoing pandemic. Anthroponotic transmission was reported early, with confirmed infections reported in 26 species to date, including dogs and cats. However,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Virology journal 2023-08, Vol.20 (1), p.176-176, Article 176
Main Authors: Tan, Cheng Siang, Bandak, Davies Belayong, Habeebur-Rahman, Sultana Parvin, Tan, Lee Tung, Lim, Li Li Andrea
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies
Brief Report
Cats
China
Confounding (Statistics)
COVID-19
cPASS
Disease transmission
Diseases
Dogs
Enzymes
Epidemics
Growth
Infection
Infection control
Infections
Malaysia
Medical research
Methods
Mutation
Neutralizing antibodies
Pandemics
Pets
SARS-CoV-2
Serology
Seroprevalence
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Testing
Viral antibodies
Viruses
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Summary:SARS-CoV-2 is a zoonotic betacoronavirus that was first reported at the dawn of 2019 in Wuhan, China and has since spread globally, causing an ongoing pandemic. Anthroponotic transmission was reported early, with confirmed infections reported in 26 species to date, including dogs and cats. However, there is a paucity of reports on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to companion animals, and thus, we aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs and cats in Sarawak, Malaysia. From August 2022 to 2023, we screened plasma samples of 172 companion animals in Sarawak, Malaysia, using a species-independent surrogate virus neutralization test. Our findings revealed the presence of neutralizing antibodies of SARS-CoV-2 in 24.5% (27/110) of dogs and 24.2% (15/62) of cats. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals in Malaysia. Our findings emphasize the need for pet owners to distance themselves from their pets when unwell, and a strategy must be in place to monitor SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals to assess the potential impact of the virus on companion animals.
ISSN:1743-422X
1743-422X
DOI:10.1186/s12985-023-02133-9