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Home / Equine Research Bank / Viruses / SARS-CoV-2 Seroconversion in an Adult Horse with Direct Cont...
Viruses2022; 14(5); 1047; doi: 10.3390/v14051047

SARS-CoV-2 Seroconversion in an Adult Horse with Direct Contact to a COVID-19 Individual.

Abstract: The authors report on a possible direct exposure to SARS-CoV-2 from a COVID-19-positive individual to an adult horse. The individual, diagnosed with COVID-19 (Delta B.1.617.2), had daily contact to her two horses prior to and during the development of clinical disease. None of the two horses developed abnormal clinical signs or had detectable SARS-CoV-2 in blood, nasal secretion, or feces via RT-qPCR. However, one of the two horses showed close temporal seroconversion to SARS-CoV-2 using a protein-based ELISA and the plaque reduction neutralization test. The results suggest that horses can become silently infected with SARS-CoV-2 following close contact with humans infected with SARS-CoV-2. As a precautionary measure, humans infected with SARS-CoV-2 should avoid close contact with equids and other companion animals during the time of their illness to prevent viral transmission.
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Publication Date: 2022-05-14 PubMed ID: 35632788PubMed Central: PMC9145940DOI: 10.3390/v14051047Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research investigates a possible case where a horse may have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, causing COVID-19, from a human contact. Though the horse showed no obvious signs of illness, tests suggest it may have carried the virus without showing symptoms.

Research Context

  • This study examined the case of an adult horse potentially exposed to SARS-CoV-2 by a COVID-19 positive human, who interacted with her two horses regularly before and during her illness. The investigation aimed to explore the potential for cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Methodology and Results

  • To study this case, the researchers did not find any signs of SARS-CoV-2 in the horses’ blood, nasal secretions, or feces using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), which is a highly sensitive and specific method for detecting viral RNA.
  • Despite the absence of detectable virus, one of the horses demonstrated seroconversion, a process where the immune system starts producing antibodies against the virus. This was detected using a protein-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), both of which are methods to detect the presence of the virus based on immune response.

Implications

  • The researchers suggest that this indicates the horse might have been silently infected with SARS-CoV-2, carrying the virus without showing symptoms or becoming severely unwell. This is significant as it suggests potential cross-species transmission from humans to horses.
  • While the virus may not cause significant disease in horses, the possibility of such silent infections raises questions about animals’ roles in harboring and potentially transmitting the virus.
  • The authors recommend that as a precautionary measure, humans infected with SARS-CoV-2 should avoid close contact with equids (a family of animals that includes horses, donkeys, and zebras) and other companion animals during their illness to prevent viral transmission. This advice adds another layer to the established COVID-19 safety measures and could have implications for the management of domestic and farm animals during the pandemic.

Cite This Article

APA
Pusterla N, Chaillon A, Ignacio C, Smith DM, Barnum S, Lawton KOY, Smith G, Pickering B. (2022). SARS-CoV-2 Seroconversion in an Adult Horse with Direct Contact to a COVID-19 Individual. Viruses, 14(5), 1047. https://doi.org/10.3390/v14051047

Publication

Viruses
ISSN: 1999-4915
NlmUniqueID: 101509722
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 5
PII: 1047

Researcher Affiliations

Pusterla, Nicola
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Chaillon, Antoine
  • Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Ignacio, Caroline
  • Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Smith, Davey M
  • Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
Barnum, Samantha
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Lawton, Kaila O Y
  • Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Smith, Greg
  • National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3M4, Canada.
Pickering, Bradley
  • National Center for Foreign Animal Disease, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3M4, Canada.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • COVID-19 / veterinary
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Horses
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Seroconversion

Grant Funding

  • AI306214 and AI100665 / NIH HHS
  • K24 AI100665 / NIAID NIH HHS
  • DP2 DA051915 / NIDA NIH HHS
  • R01 AI145555 / NIAID NIH HHS
  • R01 DA055491 / NIDA NIH HHS
  • R01 DA049644 / NIDA NIH HHS
  • R24 AI106039 / NIAID NIH HHS

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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