Infection of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic dogs associated with owner viral load

Altina Bruna de Souza Barbosa; Louise Bach Kmetiuk; Otávio Valério de Carvalho; Ana Pérola Drulla Brandão; Fernando Rodrigo Doline; Sibele Rejane Rangel Silveira Lopes; Douglas Adamoski Meira; Emanuel Maltempi de Souza; Edvaldo da Silva Trindade; Valter Baura; David Soeiro Barbosa; Daniel Friguglietti Brandespim; Juliana Arena Galhardo; Christina Pettan-Brewer; Ana Marcia de Sá Guimarães; Valéria Dutra; Hélio Autran de Morais; Luciano Huergo; Andrea Pires Dos Santos; Alexander Welker Biondo

doi:10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.10.006

Infection of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic dogs associated with owner viral load

Res Vet Sci. 2022 Dec 31:153:61-65. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2022.10.006. Epub 2022 Oct 13.

Authors

Altina Bruna de Souza Barbosa¹, Louise Bach Kmetiuk¹, Otávio Valério de Carvalho², Ana Pérola Drulla Brandão³, Fernando Rodrigo Doline¹, Sibele Rejane Rangel Silveira Lopes¹, Douglas Adamoski Meira⁴, Emanuel Maltempi de Souza⁴, Edvaldo da Silva Trindade⁴, Valter Baura⁴, David Soeiro Barbosa⁵, Daniel Friguglietti Brandespim⁶, Juliana Arena Galhardo⁷, Christina Pettan-Brewer⁸, Ana Marcia de Sá Guimarães⁹, Valéria Dutra¹⁰, Hélio Autran de Morais¹¹, Luciano Huergo¹², Andrea Pires Dos Santos¹³, Alexander Welker Biondo¹⁴

Affiliations

¹ Graduate College of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-970, Brazil.
² Graduate College of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-970, Brazil; TECSA Laboratories, Belo Horizonte, MG 30110-042, Brazil.
³ Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP 01246-903, Brazil.
⁴ Departments of Genetic and of Cellular Biology and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81530-000, Brazil.
⁵ Graduate College of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil.
⁶ Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Recife, PE 52171-900, Brazil.
⁷ Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, MS 79070-900, Brazil.
⁸ Department of Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
⁹ Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil.
¹⁰ Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá, MT 78060-900, Brazil.
¹¹ Department of Clinical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
¹² Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Seashore Campus, Matinhos, PR 83260-000, Brazil.
¹³ Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA.
¹⁴ Graduate College of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR 81531-970, Brazil; Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA. Electronic address: abiondo@ufpr.br.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive pet owners are reported to be a risk factor for infection of their pets; however, the influence of the viral load and associated risks has not been fully established. This study aimed to assess potential association of viral load in owners with the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in their dogs. Of 20 SARS-CoV-2-positive pet owners from 13 families in Curitiba, Brazil, 5 of 22 (22.7%) dogs were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Viral presence was detected in oropharyngeal samples for 2 of 5 (40.0%) dogs at 8 and 9 days after the first positive sample. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in these dogs was associated with higher viral loads in the owners and close owner contact. All 5 RT-qPCR-positive dogs had antibodies to at least one viral protein tested in the serological assay. Molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs was statistically associated with clinical signs in owners such as cold, cough, or diarrhea (P = 0.039), number of positive persons in the household (P = 0.002), and higher viral load (P = 0.039). Such findings serve as a warning for risks of human to dog infection, mainly due to sharing beds and other close interactions without protection. In conclusion, people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), particularly in households with multiple residents and high viral load, should take the same preventive measures when interacting with their dogs during self-isolation as they do with people.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Pets; Transmission.