Prevalencia de covid 19 en perros y gatos que conviven con dueños positivos a la enfermedad en la clínica veterinaria Huellas de la ciudad de Pasaje 2022.

Abstract

The world took a turn at the end of 2019, when for the first time it became known about a virus transmitted by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2), declared by the WHO as a pandemic. Which had no respite infecting thousands and millions of people around the world, even infecting domestic animals, especially companion animals such as dogs, cats, ferrets, etc.Therefore, a field investigation arose to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 in dogs and cats that live with owners positive for the disease through tests designed for humans, since they were going through the fourth wave of infections, this being one of the most discharges registered since the beginning of the pandemic.The study was carried out in the city of Pasaje, at the Huellas Veterinary, from January 20 to February 4, 2022. The first phase consisted of identifying people with positive results for COVID-19 within the first days of the disease and who had dogs or cats as pets. The Rapid Antigen Test for COVID-19 was used – Ag Rapid Test Kit.In relation to prevalence, 9 cats were examined without finding positive results, while, of the 11 dogs analyzed, one tested positive for COVID-19. It should be noted that both cats and dogs have the ACE2 receptor in their cells, similar to humans.In the study, 20 people with pets (dogs or cats) who tested positive for COVID-19 were identified. Immunochromatography and antibody (IgM/IgG) tests applied to the pets of infected individuals showed "NEGATIVE" results in all cases, indicating the absence of active infection or the presence of antibodies against COVID-19 in dogs and cats. The analysis of the pets' health revealed that the majority had an adequate general condition, highlighting the diversity in species, ages, breeds, sex, sterilization, weight and body temperature, highlighting the importance of individualized veterinary care. Based on these findings, it is concluded that no positive patients with clinical signs were recorded in the evaluated sample.