COVID Alpha Variant Detected in Dogs and Cats – Pets Had Acute Onset of Cardiac Disease, Including Severe Myocarditis

A new study in the Veterinary Record reveals that pets can be infected with the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans), first discovered in South East England and widely known as the UK variant or B.1.1.7. This variant soon outperformed existing variants in England because of its increased transmissibility and contagiousness.

The study describes the first identification of the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant in pets; two cats and one dog were positive on the PCR test, while two additional cats and one dog showed antibodies two to six weeks after they developed signs of heart disease. Many owners of these pets had developed respiratory symptoms a few weeks before their pet became ill and had also tested positive for COVID-19.

All of these pets had acute heart disease, including severe myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).

A new study in the Veterinary Record reveals that pets can be infected with the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2. Credit: Dr. Ferasin

“Our study reports the first cases of cats and dogs affected by the alpha variant of COVID-19 and highlights more than ever the risk that companion animals could become infected with SARS-CoV-2,” said lead author Luca Ferasin, DVM, PhD, from the Ralph Veterinary Referral Centre, in the UK. “We also reported the atypical clinical manifestations characterized by severe heart defects, which is a widely recognized complication in people affected by COVID-19 but has never been described in pets before. However, COVID-19 infection in pets remains a relatively rare condition and, based on our observations, it appears that transmission is from human to pet, rather than the other way around.”

Reference: “Infection with SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 detected in a group of dogs and cats with suspected myocarditis” by Luca Ferasin, Matthieu Fritz, Heidi Ferasin, Pierre Becquart, Sandrine Corbet, Meriadeg Ar Gouilh, Vincent Legros and Eric M. Leroy, Nov. 4, 2021, veterinary record.
DOI: 10.1002 / fatr.944