One Health Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Seropositivity among Pets in Households with Confirmed Human COVID-19 Cases — Utah and Wisconsin, 2020

  1. Grace W. Goryoka
  2. Caitlin M. Cossaboom
  3. Radhika Gharpure
  4. Patrick Dawson
  5. Cassandra Tansey
  6. John Rossow
  7. Victoria Mrotz
  8. Jane Rooney
  9. Mia Torchetti
  10. Christina M. Loiacono
  11. Mary L. Killian
  12. Melinda Jenkins-Moore
  13. Ailam Lim
  14. Keith Poulsen
  15. Dan Christensen
  16. Emma Sweet
  17. Dallin Peterson
  18. Anna L. Sangster
  19. Erin L. Young
  20. Kelly F. Oakeson
  21. Dean Taylor
  22. Amanda Price
  23. Tair Kiphibane
  24. Rachel Klos
  25. Darlene Konkle
  26. Sanjib Bhattacharyya
  27. Trivikram Dasu
  28. Victoria T. Chu
  29. Nathaniel M. Lewis
  30. Krista Queen
  31. Jing Zhang
  32. Anna Uehara
  33. Elizabeth A. Dietrich
  34. Suxiang Tong
  35. Hannah L. Kirking
  36. Jeffrey R. Doty
  37. Laura S. Murrell
  38. Jessica R. Spengler
  39. Anne Straily
  40. Ryan Wallace
  41. Casey Barton Behravesh
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Abstract

Background

Approximately 67% of U.S. households have pets. Limited data are available on SARS-CoV-2 in pets. We assessed SARS-CoV-2 infection in pet cohabitants as a sub-study of an ongoing COVID-19 household transmission investigation.

Methods

Mammalian pets from households with ≥1 person with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were eligible for inclusion from April–May 2020. Demographic/exposure information, oropharyngeal, nasal, rectal, and fur swabs, feces, and blood were collected from enrolled pets and tested by rRT-PCR and virus neutralization assays.

Findings

We enrolled 37 dogs and 19 cats from 34 of 41 eligible households. All oropharyngeal, nasal, and rectal swabs tested negative by rRT-PCR; one dog’s fur swabs (2%) tested positive by rRT-PCR at the first animal sampling. Among 47 pets with serological results from 30 households, eight (17%) pets (4 dogs, 4 cats) from 6 (20%) households had detectable SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. In households with a seropositive pet, the proportion of people with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 was greater (median 79%; range: 40–100%) compared to households with no seropositive pet (median 37%; range: 13–100%) (p=0.01). Thirty-three pets with serologic results had frequent daily contact (≥1 hour) with the human index patient before the person’s COVID-19 diagnosis. Of these 33 pets, 14 (42%) had decreased contact with the human index patient after diagnosis and none (0%) were seropositive; of the 19 (58%) pets with continued contact, 4 (21%) were seropositive.

Interpretations

Seropositive pets likely acquired infection from humans, which may occur more frequently than previously recognized. People with COVID-19 should restrict contact with animals.

Funding

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Agriculture

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