Department of Human Sciences, State University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil.
Laboratory of Infectious Agents and Vectors (LAIVE), Center of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Western Bahia, Rua da Prainha, 1326, Morada Nobre, Barreiras, Bahia, CEP 47810-047, Brazil.
Virol J. 2022 May 26;19(1):93. doi: 10.1186/s12985-022-01816-z.
Phylogenetic studies indicate bats as original hosts of SARS-CoV-2. However, it remains unclear whether other animals, including pets, are crucial in the spread and maintenance of COVID-19 worldwide.
In this study, we analyzed the first fatal case of a SARS-CoV-2 and FeLV co-infection in an eight-year-old male cat. We carried out a clinical evaluation and several laboratory analyses.
As main results, we observed an animal presenting severe acute respiratory syndrome and lesions in several organs, which led to the animal's death. RT-qPCR analysis showed a SARS-CoV-2 as the causative agent. The virus was detected in several organs, indicating a multisystemic infection. The virus was found in a high load in the trachea, suggesting that the animal may have contribute to the transmission of the virus. The whole-genome sequencing revealed an infection by SARS-CoV-2 Gamma VOC (P.1), and any mutations indicating host adaptation were observed.
Our data show that FeLV-positive cats are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and raise questions about the potential of immunocompromised FeLV-positive cats to act as a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 new variants.
系统发育研究表明蝙蝠是 SARS-CoV-2 的原始宿主。然而，目前尚不清楚包括宠物在内的其他动物是否在全球范围内 COVID-19 的传播和维持中起着关键作用。
本研究分析了首例 SARS-CoV-2 和 FeLV 合并感染的致命病例。我们对一只 8 岁雄性猫进行了临床评估和多项实验室分析。
主要结果为，我们观察到一只动物患有严重的急性呼吸综合征，并在多个器官出现病变，导致动物死亡。RT-qPCR 分析显示 SARS-CoV-2 是致病因子。该病毒在多个器官中被检测到，表明存在多系统感染。在气管中发现了高载量的病毒，这表明该动物可能有助于病毒的传播。全基因组测序显示感染了 SARS-CoV-2 Gamma VOC（P.1），并且没有观察到任何表明宿主适应的突变。
我们的数据表明，FeLV 阳性猫易感染 SARS-CoV-2，这引发了关于免疫功能低下的 FeLV 阳性猫是否有可能成为 SARS-CoV-2 新变体的储存宿主的问题。
