Biology subjects

Pauvolid-Correa, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Pauvolid-Correa, A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Active surveillance of cats and dogs from households with human COVID-19 cases reveals over one quarter of pets infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020-2021 in Texas, United States

Households where people have COVID-19 are high risk environments for companion animals that are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. We sampled 579 pets from 281 households with one or more laboratory-confirmed person with COVID-19 in central Texas from June 2020 to May 2021. Nineteen out of 396 (4.8%) dogs and 21 out of 157 (13.4%) cats were positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR. Additionally, 95/382 (25%) dogs and 52/146 (36%) cats harbored SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. Twenty-six companion animals of ten other species were negative. Overall, 164 (29%) pets were positive for SARS-CoV-2 by molecular and/or serological tests; a total of 110 (39%) out of 281 households had at least one animal with active or past SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cats were more likely to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 and had higher endpoint antibody titers than dogs. Through viral isolation from a subset of respiratory swabs, we documented 6 different lineages in dogs and cats, including the B.1.1 lineage in a cat one month prior to the first known human case in the country. We observed animal and human-pet interaction factors associated with higher risk of infection for dogs and cats, such as days after COVID-19 diagnosis and sharing food. Frequency of clinical signs of disease reported by owners of pets with active infections did not differ from uninfected ones, suggesting that not all reported signs are attributed to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Characterizing animal infections using active SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in pets at risk of infection may aid in One Health pandemic prevention, response, and management.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2022

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies longer than 13 months in naturally-infected, captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Texas

After identifying a captive herd of white-tailed deer (WTD) in central Texas with >94% seroprevalence with SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in September 2021, we worked retrospectively through archived serum samples of 21 deer and detected seroconversion of all animals between December 2020 and January 2021. We then collected prospective samples to conclude that the duration of persistence of neutralizing antibodies is at least 13 months for 19 (90.5%) of the animals, with two animals converting to seronegative after six and eight months. Antibody titers generally waned over this time frame, but three deer had a temporary 4 to 8-fold increases in PRNT titers over a month after seroconversion; anamnestic response cannot be ruled out.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2022

High seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at one of three captive cervid facilities in Texas

Free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginanus) across the United States are increasingly recognized as involved in SARS-CoV-2 transmission cycles. Through a cross-sectional study of 80 deer at three captive cervid facilities in central and southern Texas, we provide evidence of 34 of 36 (94.4%) white-tailed deer at a single captive cervid facility seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 by neutralization assay (PRNT90), with endpoint titers as high as 1280. In contrast, all tested white-tailed deer and axis deer (Axis axis) at two other captive cervid facilities were seronegative, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in respiratory swabs from deer at any of the three facilities. These data support transmission among captive deer that cannot be explained by human contact for each infected animal, as only a subset of the seropositive does had direct human contact. The facility seroprevalence was more than double of that reported from wild deer, suggesting that the confined environment may facilitate transmission. Further exploration of captive cervids and other managed animals for their role in the epizootiology of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for understanding impacts on animal health and the potential for spillback transmission to humans or other animal taxa. ImportanceAs SARS-CoV-2 vaccine coverge of the human population increases and variants of concern continue to emerge, identification of the epidemiologic importance of animal virus reservoirs is critical. We found that nearly all (94.4%) of the captive white-tailed deer at a cervid facility in central Texas had neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2. This seroprevalence is over double than that which has been reported from free-ranging deer from other regions of the US. Horizontal transmission among deer may be facilitated in confinement. Tracking new infections among wild and confined deer is critical for understanding the importance of animal reservoirs for both veterinary and human health.

zoology↗

bioRxiv2020

Natural SARS-CoV-2 infections, including virus isolation, among serially tested cats and dogs in households with confirmed human COVID-19 cases in Texas, USA

The natural infections and epidemiological roles of household pets in SARS-CoV-2 transmission are not understood. We conducted a longitudinal study of dogs and cats living with at least one SARS-CoV-2 infected human in Texas and found 47.1% of 17 cats and 15.3% of 59 dogs from 25.6% of 39 households were positive for SARS-CoV-2 via RT-PCR and genome sequencing or neutralizing antibodies. Virus was isolated from one cat. The majority (82.4%) of infected pets were asymptomatic. Re-sampling of one infected cat showed persistence of viral RNA at least 32 d-post human diagnosis (25 d-post initial test). Across 15 antibody-positive animals, titers increased (33.3%), decreased (33.3%) or were stable (33.3%) over time. A One Health approach is informative for prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

zoology↗