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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2021.07.20.453027

The SARS-CoV-2 reproduction number R0 in cats

Gonzales, J. L.·De Jong, M. C. M.·Gerhards, N. M.·Van der Poel, W. H. M.
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Abstract

Domestic cats are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 virus infection and given that they are in close contact with people, assessing the potential risk cats represent for the transmission and maintenance of SARS-CoV-2 is important. Assessing this risk implies quantifying transmission from humans-to-cats, from cats-to-cats and from cats-to-humans. Here we quantified the risk of cat-to-cat transmission by reviewing published literature describing transmission either experimentally or under natural conditions in infected households. Data from these studies were collated to quantify the SARS-CoV-2 reproduction number R0 among cats. The estimated R0 was significantly higher than 1, hence cats could play a role in the transmission and maintenance of SARS-CoV-2. Questions that remain to be addressed are the risk of transmission from humans-to-cats and cats-to-humans. Further data on household transmission and data on virus levels in both the environment around infected cats and their exhaled air could be a step towards assessing these risks.

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Gonzales, J. L., De Jong, M. C. M., Gerhards, N. M., Van der Poel, W. H. M.. 2021-07-20. The SARS-CoV-2 reproduction number R0 in cats. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.20.453027

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