SARS-COV-2 IN DOGS AND CATS - LITERATURE REVIEW

ABSTRACT

By the end of 2019, a new coronavirus was identified in China, in patients with severe pneumonia. Since its discovery, the SARS-CoV-2 has quickly spread thoroughout the world. This literature review was conducted to define the role of dogs and cats in the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2. The coronavirus belongs to the Coronaviridae family, Betacoronavirus genera, is the causative agent of the human COVID-19 and shows spike glycotproteins which allow the virus to enter in the host cell through the binding the spike protein with the receptors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme type 2. There is no reports that companion animals are a source of infection for human beings, however, evidences show that infected humans can transmit viral particles to the animals in a natural way. Infected animals may show mild and self-limiting clinical signs. Thus, dogs and cats can acquire SARS-CoV-2 from their tutors and may transmit to other animals, but not to humans and that is important the understanding about the susceptibility of dogs and cats due their close contact with human beings.