Evidence mapPaperPMID 40625705Full record

ArticleFrontiers in veterinary science2025

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in cats from COVID-19 positive households in the Lisbon area.

Isa Moutinho, Sara Cardoso, Mafalda Henriques, João Gonçalves, Luís Tavares, Solange Gil, Telmo Nunes, Frederico Aires-da-Silva

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Article in Frontiers in veterinary science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Isa MoutinhoCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Sara CardosoCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Mafalda HenriquesCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
João GonçalvesResearch Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Luís TavaresCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Solange GilCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Telmo NunesCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Frederico Aires-da-SilvaCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between humans and cats has been well-documented. However, the dynamics of this cross-species transmission remain insufficiently understood. Seroprevalence studies in cat populations across different contexts and regions are crucial for estimating viral infection rates and tracking viral evolution. Furthermore, identifying risk factors associated with human-to-cat transmission is essential. Methods: This study, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, assessed SARS-CoV-2 transmission and seroprevalence in 76 cats from COVID-19-positive households in the Lisbon area. Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants (alpha, delta and omicron) were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Positive samples were further tested for neutralizing antibodies using surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) and pseudotyped virus assays. To identify risk factors for human-to-cat SARS-CoV-2 transmission, we analyzed the association between animal characteristics, cat-owner interactions, owner clinical signs and sVNT results. Results: Of the 76 cats tested, 23 (30.3%) were ELISA-positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Among these, 16 (69.6%) exhibited potent neutralizing antibodies confirmed via sVNT and pseudotyped virus assays. Compared to our previous study of cats with unknown exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in the Lisbon area, this study found significantly higher rates of seroprevalence (30.3% vs. 14.7%) and neutralizing antibody prevalence (69.6% vs. 20.4%) in cats from COVID-19-positive households. None of the risk factors studied showed a statistically significant association with seropositivity in cats. Discussion: These findings suggest a greater exposure and infection risk in cats from COVID-19-positive households. The absence of significant associations with the analyzed risk factors highlights the complexity of human-to-cat SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Future studies should further investigate the impact of demographic characteristics, health conditions, lifestyle, owner-cat interactions, and owners' symptoms during infection to better understand their role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission from humans to cats and to inform strategies for controlling future outbreaks.

Indexed as

antibodiesCOVID-19human-to-cat transmissionOne HealthSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID40625705
PMCPMC12231644

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.