First Reported Cases of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Companion Animals — New York, March–April 2020

Details

• Personal Author:
  Newman, Alexandra ; Smith, David ; Ghai, Ria R. ; Wallace, Ryan M. ; Torchetti, Mia Kim ; Loiacono, Christina ; Murrell, Laura S. ; Carpenter, Ann ; Moroff, Scott ; Rooney, Jane A. ; Behravesh, Casey Barton
• Corporate Authors:
  New York (State). Department of Public Health ; New York (State). Department of Agriculture and Markets. ; CDC COVID-9 One Health Working Group. ; National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (U.S.) ; National Veterinary Services Laboratories (U.S.) ; Antech Diagnostics. ; United States Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. One Health Coordination.
• Description:
  What is already known about this topic?: A small number of companion animals Worldwide have been naturally infected with SARS-CoV-2, the Virus that causes COVID-19.
  
  What is added by this report?: Two domestic cats with respiratory illnesses lasting 8 and 10 days are the first reported companion animals with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the United States Both cats were owned by persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, and both cats fully recovered.
  
  What are the implications for public health practice?: Human-to-animal Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can occasionally occur. Animals are not known to play a substantial role in spreading COVID-19, but persons with COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals. Companion animals that test positive for SARS-CoV-2 should be monitored and separated from persons and other animals until they recover.
  
  On April 22, CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported cases of two domestic cats with confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2, the Virus that causes coronaVirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These are the first reported companion animals (including pets and service animals) with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the United States, and among the first findings of SARS-CoV-2 symptomatic companion animals reported Worldwide. These feline cases originated from separate households and were epidemiologically linked to suspected or confirmed human COVID-19 cases in their respective households. Notification of presumptive positive animal test results triggered a One Health investigation by state and federal partners, who determined that no further Transmission events to other animals or persons had occurred. Both cats fully recovered. Although there is currently no evidence that animals play a substantial role in spreading COVID-19, CDC advises persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to restrict contact with animals during their illness and to monitor any animals with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and separate them from other persons and animals at home (1).
  
  SARS-CoV-2 is a zoonotic coronaVirus that likely originated in bats (2). A small number of animals Worldwide, including dogs, cats, zoo tigers and lions, and farmed mink, have been infected naturally with SARS-CoV-2, mostly through suspected human-to-animal Transmission† (3). In addition, experimental studies in ferrets, golden Syrian hamsters, Egyptian fruit bats, and cats show that these species
  
  Suggested citation for this article: Newman A, Smith D, Ghai RR, et al. First Reported Cases of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Companion Animals — New York, March–April 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 8 June 2020.
  
  mm6923e3-H.pdf
  
  
• Content Notes:
  Diagnostic Testing Strategy -- Nonpharmaceutical Interventions -- COVID-19 Cases -- Discussion -- Acknowledgments.
• Subjects:
  Cat Diseases Cats CoronaVirus Infections COVID-19 Pandemics Pneumonia, Viral/Veterinary Zoonoses
• Source:
  MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2020; v. 69 Early Release
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Pages in Document:
  4 pdf pages
• Volume:
  69
• Collection(s):
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:d28cb94b7a08932f7ef382ca2e8af61961a73d2cc002527f75ac7bd917e0c961f61f5064e8ce33346faef07a2dbb3e9c232ea681592739f017c26ee3d1017283
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/88854/cdc_88854_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 166.23 KB ]