SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 Variant Infection in Malayan Tigers, Virginia, USA.

We report infection of 3 Malayan tigers with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.1.7 (Alpha) variant at a zoologic park in Virginia, USA. All tigers exhibited respiratory signs consistent with SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings show that tigers are susceptible to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant.

Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Cat with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has claimed millions of human lives worldwide since the emergence of the zoonotic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in China in December 2019. Notably, most severe and fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections in humans have been associated with underlying clinical conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. Here, we describe a case of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in a domestic cat (Felis catus) that presented with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a chronic heart condition that has been described as a comorbidity of COVID-19 in humans and that is prevalent in domestic cats. The lung and heart of the affected cat presented clear evidence of SARS-CoV-2 replication, with histological lesions similar to those observed in humans with COVID-19 with high infectious viral loads being recovered from these organs. The study highlights the potential impact of comorbidities on the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals and provides important information that may contribute to the development of a feline model with the potential to recapitulate the clinical outcomes of severe COVID-19 in humans.

Infectious disease surveillance of apparently healthy horses at a multi-day show using a novel nanoscale real-time PCR panel.

In the United States, horses are used for a variety of purposes including recreation, exhibition, and racing. As farm, performance, and companion animals, horses are a unique species from a zoonotic disease risk perspective, and the risks of subclinical infections spreading among horses can pose challenges. Using a nanoscale real-time PCR platform, we investigated the prevalence of 14 enteric pathogens, 11 Escherichia coli genes, and 9 respiratory pathogens in fecal samples from 97 apparently healthy horses at a multi-day horse event. In addition, sugar flotation test was performed for fecal parasites. E. coli f17 was commonly detected, prevalent in 59% of horses, followed closely by Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (55%). Additional pathogens recognized included betacoronavirus, Campylobacter jejuni, Cryptosporidium sp., E. coli O157, equine adenovirus 1, equine rhinitis B virus, and others. The use of PCR data may overestimate the true prevalence of these pathogens but provides a sensitive overview of common pathogens present in healthy horses. Our results prompt the continued need for practical biosecurity measures at horse shows, both to protect individuals interacting with these horses and to minimize transmission among horses.