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Volume 27, Number 7—July 2021
Research Letter

Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA Shedding from Therapy Cat after Cluster Outbreak in Retirement Home

Claudia Schulz1, Claudia Wylezich1, Kerstin Wernike, Magdalena Gründl, Alexandra Dangel, Christine Baechlein, Donata Hoffmann, Susanne Röhrs, Sabrina Hepner, Nikolaus Ackermann, Andreas Sing, Isabelle Pink, Beate Länger, Holger A. Volk, Paul Becher, Gerd Sutter, Antonie Neubauer-Juric, Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede, Martin Beer, and Asisa VolzComments to Author 
Author affiliations: University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Hanover, Germany (C. Schulz, C. Baechlein, S. Röhrs, B. Länger, H.A. Volk, P. Becher, M. von Köckritz-Blickwede, A. Volz); Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany (C. Wylezich, K. Wernike, D. Hoffmann, M. Beer); Local Health Authority Cham, Cham, Germany (M. Gründl); Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Germany (A. Dangel, S. Heppner, N. Ackermann, A. Sing, A. Neubauer-Juric); Hanover Medical School, Hanover (I. Pink); Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Munich, Germany (G. Sutter)

Main Article

Table

Overview of cat swab specimen and blood sampling regimen for prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding from therapy cat after cluster outbreak in retirement home, Germany*

Day of surveillance Sample type Cq values by RdRp/RdRp gene screen Cq values by E/E/S gene screen
1 OPS ND/ND ND/35.56/36.15†
6 OPS ND/ND ND/26.34/27.06†
7 OPS 29.66/31.40 30.52/ND
9 OPS, CS, FS, BS 37.48/no Cq 36.23/ND
11 OPS, CS, FS 30.95/34.80 34.66/ND
13 OPS, CS, FS, BS 32.63/35.50 35.98/ND
15 OPS, CS, FS 31.17/35.10 36.96/ND
17 OPS, CS, FS, BS 33.12/36.50 35.92/ND
19 OPS, CS, FS No Cq/no Cq No Cq/ND
21 OPS, CS, FS, BS No Cq/38.80 No Cq/ND
28 OPS, CS, FS, BS No Cq/no Cq ND/ND
31 OPS, CS, FS No Cq/no Cq No Cq/ND
35 OPS, CS, FS, BS No Cq/no Cq ND/ND
38 OPS, CS, FS No Cq/no Cq ND/ND
42 OPS, CS, FS, BS No Cq/no Cq ND/ND
45 OPS, CS, FS No Cq/no Cq ND/ND
49 OPS, CS, FS, BS No Cq/no Cq ND/ND
69 BS No Cq/no Cq ND/ND
73 OPS, CS, FS, BS No Cq/no Cq ND/ND

*Results are given for virus-positive cat K8. At day 28, serum samples for analysis of blood were collected (in bold). PCRs were performed between day 1 and day 6 by using the RealStar SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Kit 1.0 (Altona Diagnostics, https://www.altona-diagnostics.com) for initial diagnosis (E gene screen and SARS-CoV-2 specific spike gene), and from day 7 by using an RdRP gene SARS-2-IP4 quantitative real-time PCR (World Health Organization–recommended assay) and an E gene-specific PCR (see details in Appendix). The 2 results in the RdRp and E gene columns indicate that these assays were performed independently in 2 different laboratories (University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover and Friedrich-Loeffler Institut). BS, blood sample; CS, conjunctival swab; Cq, quantification cycle; E, envelope; FS, fecal swab; ND, not done; OPS, oropharyngeal swab; RdRP, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase; S, spike protein; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. †Indicates a third test result for the S gene.

Main Article

1These authors contributed equally to this article.

Page created: May 06, 2021
Page updated: June 17, 2021
Page reviewed: June 17, 2021
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