Seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection among pet animals in Croatia and potential public health impact
Seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection among pet animals in Croatia and potential public health impact
Published 27 September 2021
Stevanovic, V. et al (2021) Seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection among pet animals in Croatia and potential public health impact. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 68 (4), pp. 1767-1773. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.13924
This paper reports on the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in 656 dogs and 131 cats admitted to three veterinary facilities in Croatia between 26 February 2020 and 15 June 2020. Additionally, on 25 May 2020, a total of 122 serum samples from employees of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb were collected.
Neutralising antibodies were confirmed in 0.76% cats and 0.31% dogs using the microneutralisation test (MNT). ELISA reactivity was recorded in 7.56% tested dog sera. While 5.19% of administrative, basic and pre-clinical sciences department personnel and 5.13% of animal health service providers and laboratory personnel tested ELISA positive.
The authors note that it is possible that a portion of dogs which tested ELISA positive were sampled early or late in the course of the infection when antibody titre is low. However, it is also possible that the number of dogs in field conditions develops only mild infections resulting only in ELISA reactivity of their serum samples with no measurable neutralising antibodies.
The authors conclude that infections in dogs and cats are rare and are following infections in the human population and that contact with animals does not seem to be an occupational risk for veterinary practitioners.
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