Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) emerged in late 2019 and has since caused a global pandemic. Experimental studies and sporadic reports have confirmed susceptibility of ...dogs and cats to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. However, the importance of pet animals in the epidemiology of this infection is unclear. This study reports on a first large‐scale serosurvey of SARS‐CoV‐2 infections in dogs and cats in Europe. From 26 February 2020, just one day after the first confirmed human case of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in Croatia, to 15 June 2020, dog and cat serum samples were collected from animals admitted to three veterinary facilities in Croatia. Additionally, on 25 May 2020, a total of 122 serum samples from employees of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb were collected. Total of 656 dogs and 131 cat serum samples were tested using an in‐house microneutralisation test (MNT). Human serum samples, as well as 172 randomly selected, dog sera were tested using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ELISA‐positive human sera were subsequently tested using MNT. Neutralising antibodies were confirmed in 0.76% cats and 0.31% dogs. ELISA reactivity was recorded in 7.56% tested dog sera. On the other hand, 5.19% of administrative, basic and pre‐clinical sciences department personnel and 5.13% of animal health service providers and laboratory personnel tested ELISA positive. Neutralising antibodies were not confirmed in any of the human samples. In conclusion, seropositivity among pet animals in Croatia is low, especially when compared to results from China. A small number of seropositive animals with a low titre of neutralising antibodies suggest infections are rare and are following infections in the human population. Additionally, contact with animals does not seem to be an occupational risk for veterinary practitioners.
Canine respiratory coronavirus is a relatively new addition to the list of pathogens causing canine infectious disease complex. The virus is highly contagious, with a high prevalence in the dog ...population worldwide, especially in shelters. This study aimed to establish the presence and risk factors associated with infection in privately owned dogs and breeding colonies. This study was the first to demonstrate the presence of canine respiratory coronavirus in Croatia. Out of the 257 serum samples, 35.03% of dogs from breeding kennels and 43% of pet dogs tested enzyme-linked immunoassay positive, but the difference was not statistically significant. Sex was not an important risk factor, but the seropositivity rate increased with age. Mixing of dogs during hunting, training and dog shows was not associated with a higher seroprevalence in the breeding colonies. Daily cleaning and disinfection showed little effect on the infection spread. The study was done on a limited sample. However, it still provides evidence that the epizootiology of this disease is complex. There is no available vaccine for canine respiratory coronavirus, and further studies on environmental and risk factors will give the valuable data needed to prevent this disease. Keywords: canine respiratory coronavirus; seroprevalence; breeding colonies; ELISA; Croatia Pseci respiratorni koronavirus nedavno je dodan na listu patogena koji uzrokuju zarazni kašalj legla. Zbog svoje izrazite kontagioznosti proširio se diljem svijeta, a osobito je cest u pasa u skloništima za nezbrinute životinje. Osnovni je cilj ovog istraživanja bio ispitati proširenost infekcije u pasa u privatnom vlasništvu i uzgajivacnicama te ustanoviti cimbenike rizika koji pogoduju infekciji. Ovo je bilo prvo istraživanje koje je dokazalo prisutnost pseceg respiratornog koronavirusa u Hrvatskoj. Od 257 pretraženih uzoraka seruma 35,03% uzoraka pasa privatnih vlasnika i 43% uzoraka pasa iz uzgajivacnica dalo je pozitivan rezultat imunoenzimnog testa. Važno je napomenuti da razlika u seroprevalenciji izmedu ovih dviju populacije nije bila statisticki znakovita. Spol takoder nije bio znakovit cimbenik rizika, ali je seroprevalencija rasla s porastom dobi životinja. Miješanje životinja iz razlicitih uzgoja, prilikom lova, dresure ili izložbi pasa, nije dovelo do porasta seroprevalencije u uzgajivacnicama. Ni provodenje dnevne dezinfekcije nije znakovito utjecalo na seroprevalenciju. Ovo je istraživanje provedeno na ogranicenom broju uzoraka, ali ipak dokazuje složenost epizootiologije infekcije psecim respiratornim koronavirusom. Kako cjepivo još uvijek nije dostupno, dodatna istraživanja cimbenika okoliša i domacina, važnih za epizootiologiju ove bolesti, dat ce važne podatke nužne za provodenje mjera prevencije. Kljucne rijeci: pseci respiratorni koronavirus; seroprevalencija; uzgajivacnice; ELISA; Hrvatska
Canine respiratory coronavirus is a relatively new addition to the list of pathogens causing canine infectious disease complex. The virus is highly contagious, with a high prevalence in the dog ...population worldwide, especially in shelters. This study aimed to establish the presence and risk factors associated with infection in privately owned dogs and breeding colonies. This study was the first to demonstrate the presence of canine respiratory coronavirus in Croatia. Out of the 257 serum samples, 35.03% of dogs from breeding kennels and 43% of pet dogs tested enzyme-linked immunoassay positive, but the difference was not statistically significant. Sex was not an important risk factor, but the seropositivity rate increased with age. Mixing of dogs during hunting, training and dog shows was not associated with a higher seroprevalence in the breeding colonies. Daily cleaning and disinfection showed little effect on the infection spread. The study was done on a limited sample. However, it still provides evidence that the epizootiology of this disease is complex. There is no available vaccine for canine respiratory coronavirus, and further studies on environmental and risk factors will give the valuable data needed to prevent this disease.
Pseći respiratorni koronavirus nedavno je dodan na listu patogena koji uzrokuju zarazni kašalj legla. Zbog svoje izrazite kontagioznosti proširio se diljem svijeta, a osobito je čest u pasa u ...skloništima za nezbrinute životinje. Osnovni je cilj ovog istraživanja bio ispitati proširenost infekcije u pasa u privatnom vlasništvu i uzgajivačnicama te ustanoviti čimbenike rizika koji pogoduju infekciji. Ovo je bilo prvo istraživanje koje je dokazalo prisutnost psećeg respiratornog koronavirusa u Hrvatskoj. Od 257 pretraženih uzoraka seruma 35,03 % uzoraka pasa privatnih vlasnika i 43 % uzoraka pasa iz uzgajivačnica dalo je pozitivan rezultat imunoenzimnog testa. Važno je napomenuti da razlika u seroprevalenciji između ovih dviju populacije nije bila statistički znakovita. Spol također nije bio znakovit čimbenik rizika, ali je seroprevalencija rasla s porastom dobi životinja. Miješanje životinja iz različitih uzgoja, prilikom lova, dresure ili izložbi pasa, nije dovelo do porasta seroprevalencije u uzgajivačnicama. Ni provođenje dnevne dezinfekcije nije znakovito utjecalo na seroprevalenciju. Ovo je istraživanje provedeno na ograničenom broju uzoraka, ali ipak dokazuje složenost epizootiologije infekcije psećim respiratornim koronavirusom. Kako cjepivo još uvijek nije dostupno, dodatna istraživanja čimbenika okoliša i domaćina, važnih za epizootiologiju ove bolesti, dat će važne podatke nužne za provođenje mjera prevencije.
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