key: cord-0864330-2db6jo6q
authors: Kang, Kai; Chen, Qi; Gao, Yang; Yu, Kai‐jiang
title: Detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant in three cats owned by a confirmed COVID‐19 patient in Harbin, China
date: 2021-12-27
journal: Vet Med Sci
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.715
sha: a10f072f273cd06d0409b984f7d3bc0824f4a56c
doc_id: 864330
cord_uid: 2db6jo6q

nan

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly pathogenic zoonotic pathogen mainly spread via human-to-human transmission. However, the infected population is by no means limited to humans. Bats were considered to be the original natural hosts and the most probable source of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Zhou et al., 2020) . In addition, cats, dogs, ferrets and even tigers and lions have been repeatedly reported to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, but no specific case of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infection has been reported so far (Hamer et al., 2021; Sailleau et al., 2020) . These stray or companion animals may be a silent intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2 and, therefore, should be screened during the outbreak of epidemic to avoid potential risk of human-animal-human transmission (Halfmann et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2020) . Despite the lack of direct evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from companion animals to humans, the contamination of the environment caused by infected companion animals, especially of closed environments, is of great concern as it is one 

The letter describes the cat euthanasia event derived from Chinese public news information. The data that support the findings of this study are available in PubMed.

The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons. com/publon/10.1002/vms3.715.

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats

SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant of concern detected in a pet dog and cat after exposure to a person with COVID-19, USA. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

Animals and SARS-CoV-2: Species susceptibility and viral transmission in experimental and natural conditions, and the potential implications for community transmission. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

First detection and genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in an infected cat in France

Potential infectious risk from the pets carrying SARS-CoV-2. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease

A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin

We pay tribute to all the people working on research and treatment of Corona Virus Disease 2019.The authors are grateful to all colleagues who worked with them in the COVID-19 treatment center of Heilongjiang province and all those who provided selfless advice and help for this article.