Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Cats during Five Waves of COVID-19 Epidemic in Thailand and Correlation with Human Outbreaks

Suporn Thongyuan
ORCID logo ,
Jeeraphong Thanongsaksrikul
ORCID logo ,
Potjanee Srimanote
,
Wallaya Phongphaew
,
Piyaporn Eiamcharoen
,
Naris Thengchaisri
ORCID logo ,
Angela Bosco-Lauth
,
Nicola Decaro
ORCID logo ,
Rungrueang Yodsheewan
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 10 January 2024 / Approved: 10 January 2024 / Online: 10 January 2024 (12:03:28 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Thongyuan, S.; Thanongsaksrikul, J.; Srimanote, P.; Phongphaew, W.; Eiamcharoen, P.; Thengchaisri, N.; Bosco-Lauth, A.; Decaro, N.; Yodsheewan, R. Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Cats during Five Waves of COVID-19 Epidemic in Thailand and Correlation with Human Outbreaks. Animals 2024, 14, 761. Thongyuan, S.; Thanongsaksrikul, J.; Srimanote, P.; Phongphaew, W.; Eiamcharoen, P.; Thengchaisri, N.; Bosco-Lauth, A.; Decaro, N.; Yodsheewan, R. Seroprevalence of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Cats during Five Waves of COVID-19 Epidemic in Thailand and Correlation with Human Outbreaks. Animals 2024, 14, 761.

Abstract

Human-to-animal SARS-CoV-2 transmission was observed, including a veterinarian contracting COVID-19 through close contact with an infected cat, suggesting an atypical anthropozoonotic transmission. This study investigated the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in cats during human outbreaks and elucidated the correlation between cat infections and human epidemics. A total of 1,107 cat sera samples were collected and screened for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a modified indirect ELISA human SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detection kit. The samples were confirmed using a cPass surrogate viral neutralization assay. The SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity rate was 22.67% (199/878), mirroring the trend observed in concomitant human case numbers. The waves of an epidemic and provinces did not significantly impact ELISA-positive cat. Notably, Chon Buri ex-hibited a strong positive correlation (r = 0.99, P = 0.009) between positive cat sera and reported human case numbers. Additionally, cPass surrogate viral neutralization revealed a 3.99% (35/878) seropositivity rate. While there were significant differences in positive cat numbers and proportions between epidemic waves. In Samut Sakhon, a positive correlation (r = 1, P = 0.042) was noted between the proportion of positive cat sera and reported human cases. The findings emphasize the need for ongoing surveillance to comprehend SARS-CoV-2 dynamics in both human and feline populations.

Keywords

COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; indirect ELISA; surrogate viral neutralization assay; seroprevalence; correlation; Thai; cat

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Veterinary Medicine

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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