Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) descriptions of infection and transmission have been increasing in companion animals in the past year. Although canine susceptibility is generally considered low, their role in the COVID-19 disease cycle remains unknown. In this study, we detected and sequenced a delta variant (AY.3) from a 12-year-old Collie living with owners that previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. It is unclear if the dogs’ symptoms were related to SARS-CoV-2 infection or underlying conditions. The whole genome sequence obtained from the dog sample had several unique consensus level changes not previously identified in a SARS-CoV-2 genome that may play a role in the rapid adaptation from humans to dogs. Within the spike coding region, 5/7 of the subconsensus variants identified in the dog sequence were also identified in the closest in-house human reference case. Taken together, the whole genome sequence, and phylogenetic and subconsensus variant analyses indicate the virus infecting the animal originated from a local outbreak cluster. The results of these analyses emphasize the importance of rapid detection and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in companion animals.
Highlights
In late 2019, a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)emerged in China and has since become one of the most economically impactful pandemics to date [1]
The dog was diagnosed with a hemoabdomen secondary to a bleeding splenic mass after an abdominal FAST scan and abdomincentesis
The cluster of Kansas cases surrounding the dog sequence reflect a potential transmission cluster within the city. This is the first report of a dog infected with a SARS-CoV-2 delta variant
Summary
In late 2019, a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)emerged in China and has since become one of the most economically impactful pandemics to date [1]. Multiple viral variants have been reported, causing various complications including higher rates of transmissibility [2,3,4], immune evasion [5,6,7,8,9], and diagnostic complications [10]. A subset of novel variants has been labeled variants of interest (VOI), on the basis of the preceding factors. VOIs include viruses that are phylogenetically classified into eta (B.1.525), iota (B.1.526), and kappa (B.1.617.1) lineages as well as one unclassified variant (B.1.617.3) [11]. The eta, iota, and kappa lineages were first identified in the United Kingdom, United States, and India, respectively. Many of these lineages have disseminated worldwide, further perpetuating case rates and clinical symptoms
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