ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. One Health
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1503000
High Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in cats linked to human infection in a Latin American country with elevated COVID-19 transmission and mortality
Provisionally accepted
Alexandra Ulloa Maravi1
Maritza Cordero-Ortiz2
Luis M. Jara1*
Francesca Schiaffino1
Cusi Ferradas3Camila Sánchez-Carrión4Ana Martínez-Vela5
Jesús Hernández2
Luis G Gimenez-Lirola6,7*- 1Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- 2Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Hermosillo, Mexico
- 3Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración; Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Emergentes y Cambio Climático (Emerge), Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- 4Clinica Veterinaria Gatuario, Lima, Peru
- 5Clinica Veterinaria Los Dominicos, Lima, Peru
- 6Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, United States
- 7Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
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Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to infect various animal species, including companion animals such as cats. Although direct transmission from cats to humans has not been confirmed, monitoring the prevalence of infection in these animals remains critical as susceptible hosts to SARS-CoV-2, particularly in regions with high COVID-19 case numbers. This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in cats during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lima, Peru. Methods: Serum samples from 544 cats, collected between 2020 and 2021, were tested for antibodies using a double antigen sandwich ELISA targeting the receptor-binding protein domain (RBD) and the nucleocapsid (N) proteins. This ELISA has Results: A seroprevalence of 43.8% was observed, with higher rates in females (63.9%), kittens (51.3%), and the Domestic Shorthair breed (93.2%). Among owners diagnosed with COVID-19, 95.5% of their cats were seropositive, with no cross-reactivity observed for other common feline diseases.Discussion: These findings suggest significant SARS-CoV-2 exposure and possible infection in cats during the early pandemic phase in Peru. The high seroprevalence observed highlights the need for ongoing surveillance of companion animals, especially in regions with high human infection rates.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Cats, COVID-19, seroprevalence, Antibodies, ELISA
Received: 27 Sep 2024; Accepted: 19 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ulloa Maravi, Cordero-Ortiz, Jara, Schiaffino, Ferradas, Sánchez-Carrión, Martínez-Vela, Hernández and Gimenez-Lirola. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Luis M. Jara, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
Luis G Gimenez-Lirola, Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.