Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease and transmission in domestic cats

Natasha N. Gaudreault, Jessie D. Trujillo, Mariano Carossino, David A. Meekins, Igor Morozov, Daniel W. Madden, Sabarish V. Indran, Dashzeveg Bold, Velmurugan Balaraman, Taeyong Kwon, Bianca Libanori Artiaga, Konner Cool, Adolfo García-Sastre, Wenjun Ma, William C. Wilson, Jamie Henningson, Udeni B. R. Balasuriya, Juergen A. Richt
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.04.235002
Natasha N. Gaudreault
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jessie D. Trujillo
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Mariano Carossino
2Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
David A. Meekins
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Igor Morozov
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Daniel W. Madden
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Sabarish V. Indran
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Dashzeveg Bold
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Velmurugan Balaraman
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Taeyong Kwon
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Bianca Libanori Artiaga
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Konner Cool
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Adolfo García-Sastre
3Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
4Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
5Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
6The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Wenjun Ma
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
William C. Wilson
7Arthropod Borne Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jamie Henningson
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Udeni B. R. Balasuriya
2Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Juergen A. Richt
1Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: jricht@ksu.edu
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and responsible for the current pandemic. Recent SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and transmission studies in cats show that the virus can replicate in these companion animals and transmit to other cats. Here, we present an in-depth study of SARS-CoV-2 infection, associated disease and transmission dynamics in domestic cats. Six 4- to 5-month-old cats were challenged with SARS-CoV-2 via intranasal and oral routes simultaneously. One day post challenge (DPC), two sentinel contact cats were co-mingled with the principal infected animals. Animals were monitored for clinical signs, clinicopathological abnormalities and viral shedding throughout the 21 DPC observation period. Postmortem examinations were performed at 4, 7 and 21 DPC to investigate disease progression. Viral RNA was not detected in blood but transiently in nasal, oropharyngeal and rectal swabs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as well as various tissues. Tracheobronchoadenitis of submucosal glands with the presence of viral RNA and antigen was observed in airways of the infected cats on 4 and 7 DPC. Serology showed that both, principal and sentinel cats, developed SARS-CoV-2-specific and neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 detectable at 7 DPC or 10 DPC, respectively. All animals were clinically asymptomatic during the course of the study and capable of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to sentinels within 2 days of comingling. The results of this study are critical for our understanding of the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 in a naturally susceptible host species, and for risk assessment of the maintenance of SARS-CoV-2 in felines and transmission to other animals and humans.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted August 04, 2020.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease and transmission in domestic cats
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease and transmission in domestic cats
Natasha N. Gaudreault, Jessie D. Trujillo, Mariano Carossino, David A. Meekins, Igor Morozov, Daniel W. Madden, Sabarish V. Indran, Dashzeveg Bold, Velmurugan Balaraman, Taeyong Kwon, Bianca Libanori Artiaga, Konner Cool, Adolfo García-Sastre, Wenjun Ma, William C. Wilson, Jamie Henningson, Udeni B. R. Balasuriya, Juergen A. Richt
bioRxiv 2020.08.04.235002; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.04.235002
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
SARS-CoV-2 infection, disease and transmission in domestic cats
Natasha N. Gaudreault, Jessie D. Trujillo, Mariano Carossino, David A. Meekins, Igor Morozov, Daniel W. Madden, Sabarish V. Indran, Dashzeveg Bold, Velmurugan Balaraman, Taeyong Kwon, Bianca Libanori Artiaga, Konner Cool, Adolfo García-Sastre, Wenjun Ma, William C. Wilson, Jamie Henningson, Udeni B. R. Balasuriya, Juergen A. Richt
bioRxiv 2020.08.04.235002; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.04.235002

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Microbiology
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (4113)
  • Biochemistry (8815)
  • Bioengineering (6519)
  • Bioinformatics (23462)
  • Biophysics (11789)
  • Cancer Biology (9209)
  • Cell Biology (13323)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (7436)
  • Ecology (11409)
  • Epidemiology (2066)
  • Evolutionary Biology (15151)
  • Genetics (10436)
  • Genomics (14043)
  • Immunology (9171)
  • Microbiology (22154)
  • Molecular Biology (8812)
  • Neuroscience (47569)
  • Paleontology (350)
  • Pathology (1428)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2491)
  • Physiology (3730)
  • Plant Biology (8080)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1437)
  • Synthetic Biology (2221)
  • Systems Biology (6037)
  • Zoology (1253)