Frequent Infection of Cats With SARS-CoV-2 Irrespective of Pre-Existing Enzootic Coronavirus Immunity, Brazil 2020.

Carnivores such as cats and minks are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Brazil is a global COVID-19 hot spot and several cases of human-to-cat transmission have been documented. We investigated the spread of SARS-CoV-2 by testing 547 domestic cats sampled between July-November 2020 from seven states in southern, southeastern, and northeastern Brazil. Moreover, we investigated whether immune responses elicited by enzootic coronaviruses affect SARS-CoV-2 infection in cats. We found infection with significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers against the Gamma variant of concern, endemic in Brazil during 2020, than against an early SARS-CoV-2 B.1 isolate (p<0.0001), validating the use of Gamma for further testing. The overall SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Brazilian cats during late 2020 validated by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT90) was 7.3% (95% CI, 5.3-9.8). There was no significant difference in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in cats between Brazilian states, suggesting homogeneous infection levels ranging from 4.6% (95% CI, 2.2-8.4) to 11.4% (95% CI, 6.7-17.4; p=0.4438). Seroprevalence of the prototypic cat coronavirus Feline coronavirus (FCoV) in a PRNT90 was high at 33.3% (95% CI, 24.9-42.5) and seroprevalence of Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) was low at 1.7% (95% CI, 0.2-5.9) in a PRNT90. Neutralizing antibody titers were significantly lower for FCoV than for SARS-CoV-2 (p=0.0001), consistent with relatively more recent infection of cats with SARS-CoV-2. Neither the magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers (p=0.6390), nor SARS-CoV-2 infection status were affected by FCoV serostatus (p=0.8863). Our data suggest that pre-existing immunity against enzootic coronaviruses neither prevents, nor enhances SARS-CoV-2 infection in cats. High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence already during the first year of the pandemic substantiates frequent infection of domestic cats and raises concerns on potential SARS-CoV-2 mutations escaping human immunity upon spillback.

Feline Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania infantum: Parasite Sequencing, Seropositivity, and Clinical Characterization in an Endemic Area From Brazil.

Zoonotic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum is a disease of One Health concern since human and animal cases and environmental damage are interconnected. L. infantum has a complex epidemiological cycle with multiple hosts, including mammals-humans, domestic, and wild animals-and arthropod vectors. Knowledge on mammal infections in endemic areas is crucial for developing control strategies. This work aimed to detect and characterize L. infantum infection in domestic cats from areas where human and canine leishmaniasis cases occur. No cases of feline leishmaniasis (FeL) had been previously reported in those areas. Five municipalities from Bahia state were chosen, comprising 2,480.8 km2 with 1,103,866 inhabitants. Ninety domiciliated and/or sheltered cats underwent clinical examination and serology by a rapid reference test recommended by the Brazilian government. Cytology, PCR, and parasite DNA sequencing were performed in bone marrow samples. Rapid tests detected antibodies in 5.6% (5/90) of the cats. Leishmania infantum infection was confirmed in 7.8% (7/90) of the cats by PCR, sequencing, and parasite isolation. Three out of the five municipalities (60%) had infected cats, and PCR positivity varied from 6.9 to 29%. One cat was categorized as harboring active L. infantum infection with amastigote forms in bone marrow smears. No clinical signs were detected at the first clinical exam, but 1 month later the cat developed severe FeL. The cat isolate was grown in culture, typed and its DNA sequence was homologous to the L. infantum reference strain (PP75). In conclusion, cats are potential hosts and may acquire L. infantum in endemic areas where canine and human cases occur. For cats, the need for surveillance, differential diagnosis and clinical care is highly recommended since a fast clinical progression of FeL developed in a subclinical animal. An accurate standardized immunodiagnostic assay for FeL is warranted.

Suscetibilidade Antimicrobiana e Fatores de Virulência de Staphylococcus em Fômites do Hospital Universitário Sul Fluminense / Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Virulence Factors of Staphylococcus in Fomites of Sul Fluminense University Hospital

Objetivo: Caracterizar os fatores de virulência e o perfil de suscetibilidade antimicrobiana de isolados de Staphylococcus spp. provenientes de amostras de jaleco e estetoscópio dos profissionais de saúde, e das maçanetas das portas da enfermaria e Unidade de Terapia Intensiva do Hospital Universitário Sul Fluminense. Material e Métodos: As amostras de estetoscópio, maçaneta e jaleco, foram coletadas com"swab" estéril umedecido em solução salina e foram colocados em caldo Infusão de Cérebro e Coração Bovino (BHI) e incubados por 24-48h a 37ºC para o crescimento. Foram feitas as identificações necessárias para caracterização dos fatores de virulência e o perfil de suscetibilidade antimicrobiana de isolados de Staphylococcus spp. no laboratório de Microbiologia da Universidade Severino Sombra. Resultados: Foi obtido um total de 59 Staphylococcus spp, identificados como Staphylococcus aureus (n=6) e Staphylococcus coagulase negativos (n=53). Do grupo coagulase-negativo foram identificados 34 isolaods de Staphylococcus epidermidis e 19 de Staphylococcus saprophyticus. Em relação aos fatores de virulência, 76,3% isolados foram produtores de "slime". A hemólise foi detectada em 50,9% dos isolados, destes 35,6% apresentaram hemólise total e 15,3% a hemólise parcial. O sinergismo hemolítico foi positivo em 59,3% dos isolados sendo que destes, 13 não apresentaram hemolisinas. De acordo com o perfil de suscetibilidade, 96,6% foram resistentes à penicilina. A gentamicina foi o antibiótico que apresentou menor percentual de resistência (15,3%). Conclusão: Os jalecos, estetoscópios e maçanetas das portas, podem ser considerados como um veículo potencial para transmissão de microorganismo dentro do ambiente hospitalar. (AU)

Objective: To characterize the virulence factors and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Staphylococcus spp. from samples of lab coat and stethoscope of health professionals, and from the handles of the doors of the ward and intensive care unit of Sul Fluminense University Hospital. Materials and Methods: The samples from stethoscopes, handles and coats were collected using moistened sterile swabs soaked in saline. Then the swabs were placed in Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth and incubated for 24to 48 h at 37°C for growth. Then we further characterized the virulence factors and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus spp. in the Microbiology Laboratory of Severino Sombra University. Results: A total of 59 isolates of Staphylococcus spp. were recovered, of which six were Staphylococcus aureus and 53 were coagulasenegative Staphylococcus. Among the coagulase-negative isolates, 34 were Staphylococcus epidermidis and 19 Staphylococcus saprophyticus. As for virulence factors, 76.3% of the isolates were slime-producers. Hemolysis was detected in 50.9% of the isolates, of which 35.6% showed total hemolysis and 15.3% partial hemolysis. The hemolytic synergism was positive in 59.3% of the isolates and of these, 13 showed no hemolysin. According to the susceptibility profile, 96.6% were resistant to penicillin. Gentamicin was an antibiotic that showed the lowest percentage of resistance (15.3%). Conclusion: Lab coats, stethoscopes and door handles can be considered as a potential vehicle for the transmission of microorganisms within the hospital environment. (AU)