Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in exotic pets in Spain
Cano-Terriza, David (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas)
Fernández-Bastit, Leira (Unitat mixta d'investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Vergara-Alert, Júlia (Unitat mixta d'investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal. Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal)
Váquez-Calero, Daniel B. (Veterinary clinic of exotic pets ARACAVIA)
Castro-Scholten, Sabrina (Universidad de Córdoba)
Caballero-Gómez, Javier (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas)
García-Bocanegra, Ignacio (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas)
Segalés Coma, Joaquim (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Sanitat i d'Anatomia Animals)

Date:	2025
Description:	4 pàg.
Abstract:	Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in different animal species raises concerns about the potential for animal reservoirs and transmission to humans. Here, we evaluate the exposure of exotic pet species to this virus throughout the early years of the pandemic (2020 - 2022) in southern Spain. A total of 180 exotic pets (126 domestic rabbits, 31 ferrets, and 23 rodents) were analyzed for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using two different ELISAs. ELISA-positive sera were subsequently tested for specific neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) using the virus neutralization test (VNT). Only one brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), representing 0. 6 % of the total, tested positive by ELISA, yet showed negative result for SARS-CoV-2 nAbs by VNT. Our results suggest a very limited risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among humans and sympatric exotic pet species in the study region. However, the virus's potential for interspecies transmission emphasizes the need for ongoing surveillance, especially in settings with frequent human-animal interactions, to avoid potential virus evolution, the emergence of new animal reservoirs, and spillover events.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Coronavirus ; COVID-19 ; One Health ; Pets ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Zoonoses ; SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Published in:	Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Vol. 116 (2025) , p. 102289, ISSN 1878-1667

DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2024.102289
PMID: 39662139

4 p, 419.6 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA-IRTA)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles