Abstract
The epidemiological role of domestic animals in the spread and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans has been investigated in recent reports, but some aspects need to be further clarified. To date, only in rare cases have dogs and cats living with COVID-19 patients been found to harbour SARS-CoV-2, with no evidence of pet-to-human transmission. The aim of the present study was to verify whether dogs and cats act as passive mechanical carriers of SARS-CoV-2 when they live in close contact with COVID-19 patients. Cutaneous and interdigital swabs collected from 48 dogs and 15 cats owned by COVID-19 patients were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by qRT-PCR. The time elapsed between owner swab positivity and sample collection from pets ranged from 1 to 72 days, with a median time of 23 days for dogs and 39 days for cats. All samples tested negative, suggesting that pets do not passively carry SARS-CoV-2 on their hair and pads, and thus they likely do not play an important role in the virus transmission to humans. This data may contribute to confirming that the direct contact with the hair and pads of pets does not represent a route for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
Highlights
IntroductionThe current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused over two and a half million human deaths (as of 15 March 2021) and is being sustained by the human-to-human transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) [1]
The results of the present study suggest that pets are not contaminated by their owners or the environment or that routine hygiene practices are adequate to avoid persistent contamination of pets’ hair and pads with SARS-CoV-2
It has been demonstrated that the probability of pets being seropositive increases with the time of exposure to the infected owner [19], it may be possible that the virus was present on the hair or pads of pets before they were sampled
Summary
The current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused over two and a half million human deaths (as of 15 March 2021) and is being sustained by the human-to-human transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARSCoV-2) [1]. COVID-19 is primarily transmitted from person to person via respiratory droplets, and faecal–oral transmission may occur [1,2], contamination via surfaces has been suggested as a potential form of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [3]. SARS-CoV-2 may be viable on environmental surfaces for up to 72 h under laboratory conditions, and viral load and temperature have been shown to influence the presence of infectious virus on common surfaces for up to 28 days [4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
