The Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, UK.
Specialist Veterinary Cardiology Consultancy, Four Marks, Hampshire, UK.
Vet Rec. 2021 Nov;189(9):e944. doi: 10.1002/vetr.944. Epub 2021 Nov 4.
Domestic pets can contract severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection; however, it is unknown whether the UK B.1.1.7 variant can more easily infect certain animal species or increase the possibility of human-to-animal transmission.
This is a descriptive case series reporting SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant infections in a group of dogs and cats with suspected myocarditis.
The study describes the infection of domestic cats and dogs by the B.1.1.7 variant. Two cats and one dog were positive to SARS-CoV-2 PCR on rectal swab, and two cats and one dog were found to have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 2-6 weeks after they developed signs of cardiac disease. Many owners of these pets had developed respiratory symptoms 3-6 weeks before their pets became ill and had also tested positive for COVID-19. Interestingly, all these pets were referred for acute onset of cardiac disease, including severe myocardial disorders of suspected inflammatory origin but without primary respiratory signs.
These findings demonstrate, for the first time, the ability for pets to be infected by the B.1.1.7 variant and question its possible pathogenicity in these animals.
家养宠物可能会感染严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）；然而，尚不清楚英国 B.1.1.7 变体是否更容易感染某些动物物种，或者增加人际传播的可能性。
这是一项描述性病例系列报告，报告了一组疑似心肌炎的犬猫 SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 变体感染。
本研究描述了 B.1.1.7 变体在家养猫和狗中的感染。两只猫和一只狗的直肠拭子 SARS-CoV-2 PCR 检测呈阳性，两只猫和一只狗在出现心脏疾病迹象后 2-6 周检测到 SARS-CoV-2 抗体。这些宠物的许多主人在宠物生病前 3-6 周出现了呼吸道症状，并已对 COVID-19 检测呈阳性。有趣的是，所有这些宠物都因急性心脏病发作而就诊，包括疑似炎症性起源的严重心肌障碍，但没有原发性呼吸道症状。
这些发现首次证明了宠物能够被 B.1.1.7 变体感染，并质疑其在这些动物中的可能致病性。
