System Maintenance Notice

Please note that maintenance work is scheduled between 4 AM and 5 AM - CET. During this time, you may experience reduced performance. Thanks for your patience.

Publications

Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Epublish 3 citations

PubMed: 37550752 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02133-9

Serosurveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Virol J 20(1):176

Authors: Cheng Siang Tan, Davies Belayong Bandak, Sultana Parvin Habeebur-Rahman, Lee Tung Tan, Li Li Andrea Lim

Affiliations

  • Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • Animal Central Veterinary Clinic, 93100, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, 93350, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
  • Department of Veterinary Services Sarawak, 93250, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is a zoonotic betacoronavirus that was first reported at the dawn of 2019 in Wuhan, China and has since spread globally, causing an ongoing pandemic. Anthroponotic transmission was reported early, with confirmed infections reported in 26 species to date, including dogs and cats. However, there is a paucity of reports on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to companion animals, and thus, we aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in dogs and cats in Sarawak, Malaysia. From August 2022 to 2023, we screened plasma samples of 172 companion animals in Sarawak, Malaysia, using a species-independent surrogate virus neutralization test. Our findings revealed the presence of neutralizing antibodies of SARS-CoV-2 in 24.5% (27/110) of dogs and 24.2% (15/62) of cats. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals in Malaysia. Our findings emphasize the need for pet owners to distance themselves from their pets when unwell, and a strategy must be in place to monitor SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals to assess the potential impact of the virus on companion animals.

MeSH

Virology, Antibodies, Neutralizing, Sars Virus, Sars-Cov-2

Cited by