Human ELISA Detects anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies in Cats: Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Virus Spread in Domestic and Stray Cats in Bulgaria

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The aim of the study was to verify whether the human DR-ELISA for the detection of antibodies against the agent of COVID-19 can be applied in cats, as well as to assess the risk factors that determine the spread of the virus among the cat population in Bulgaria. Therefore, 92 serum samples collected from 68 domestic and 24 stray cats were analyzed and compared with a multi-species ELISA kit. The results showed 83.33% positive results in stray cats and 41.18% in domestic cats, respectively, by both assays. Cats under 7 years had a five times higher risk than those over 7 years. The risk was seven times higher for stray cats than for domestic cats. Additionally, the results indicate the highest risk for cats in villages. This study demonstrates that human DR-ELISA may be helpful in monitoring the circulation of the virus in cats. ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to verify whether the human DR-ELISA for the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies can be applied in cats, and to assess the risk factors that determine the spread of the virus among the cat population in Bulgaria. The study included 92 serum samples collected from 68 domestic and 24 stray cats aged from 3 months to 20 years of age in the period of January–June 2021. The samples originated from three regions in Bulgaria and from three places of inhabitance. DR-ELISA based on peroxidase-labeled SARS-CoV-2 N protein was employed to detect IgA, IgG and IgM antibodies in the samples. Subsequently, the results were compared with a commercially available multi-species ELISA kit. There was high seroprevalence (83.33%) in stray cats and 41.18% in domestic cats, confirmed by the human and veterinary ELISA kit. The positive cases in the regional cities were 42.86%, in small towns 50% and in villages 78.26%. Cats under 7 years had a five times higher risk than those over 7 years (p = 0.001). The risk was seven times higher for stray cats than for domestic cats (p = 0.001). In addition, the results indicate that the risk was the highest for cats in villages (p = 0.006) compared to cats in other places of inhabitance. This study demonstrates that human DR-ELISA may be successfully applied to monitor the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in cats and other susceptible species. Cats might serve as sentinel animals for tracking the virus in nature and in inhabited areas (strays) and to discover asymptomatic cases in humans/owners.