Scientists talk about a virus dangerous to humans in the blood of US pets

Antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain were found in blood samples taken long before the onset of the pandemic from cats from various regions of the United States. This is stated in a study by a group of scientists from the University of Tennessee.

According to American researchers, this can only be explained by the fact that animals were in contact with another virus, the spike protein of which is so similar to a similar protein of the causative agent of COVID-19 that it causes the body to release cross-reactive antibodies against it. These are antibodies that are produced after contact with one infectious agent, but protect against other, similar pathogens.

Scientists at the University of Tennessee believe that a potentially dangerous virus is circulating in the American cat population right now.
Cats can become an ideal reservoir for new mutations of an unknown virus, say experts interviewed by Izvestia. And through pets, a new virus can be transmitted to humans.

“As it happens with other viruses that circulate among animals – they are modified, and then come to humans in the form of a new strain and cause a new wave of disease, it can be the same with this new virus,” said a senior researcher at the Department of Immunochemistry of the Ural Federal University Mikhail Bolkov.

According to the expert, it is difficult to predict the pathogenic potential of such a wave and its danger to humans. But theoretically, such a phenomenon can definitely take place, because different types of coronavirus have already crossed the interspecies barrier, including from animal to person.

In Russia, such a virus has not been detected among domestic animals, Russian experts told Izvestia.

“I must say that very few animals are tested in our country. Our country is rather closed both in terms of transferring information within the country and to other countries, ”said Tatyana Krasnova, representative of the National Veterinary Chamber, chief physician of the Belyi Klyk veterinary clinic in Moscow.

Rosselkhoznadzor did not provide Izvestia with comments on the infection detected by US scientists. At the same time, the department reported that studies of the susceptibility of animals to SARS-CoV-2 have been carried out in Russia since May 2020. During this time, more than 2 thousand samples were studied, taken from cats, dogs, poultry, cattle and small ruminants, pigs and all kinds of mustelids. Of these, the coronavirus was detected in only two cats – from Moscow and Tyumen.

Details about the possibility of a new epidemic – in the material “Izvestia”:

“Cats for everything: a new pandemic could start with pets”