First genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 recovered from an infected cat and
its owner in Latin America
Abstract
An 11 years-old male mixed-breed cat, with exclusively indoor life,
presented 3 cough episodes after the owners tested positive by RT-PCR
for SARS-CoV-2. The house is inhabited by 5 people (3 adults and 2
children), and 2 of the adults have shown mild symptoms associated with
throat discomfort. The cat was vaccinated, had no history of any
previous disease, and tested negative for Feline Coronavirus (FeCoV),
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV).
Rectal sample collected from the cat was positive for SARS-CoV-2 by
RT-PCR. Viral genome sequences recovered from human and cat samples
showed an average 99.4% sequence identity. This is the first report of
genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 recovered from a cat and its owner in
Latin America.
