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. 2025 Jun 6:12:1503000.
doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1503000. eCollection 2025.

High seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in cats linked to human infection in a Latin American country with elevated COVID-19 transmission and mortality

Alexandra Ulloa #  1 , Maritza Cordero-Ortiz #  2 , Luis M Jara #  1 , Francesca Schiaffino  1 , Cusi Ferradas  3 , Camila Sánchez-Carrión  4 , Ana Martínez-Vela  5 , Jesús Hernández  2 , Luis G Giménez-Lirola  6
Affiliations

High seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in cats linked to human infection in a Latin American country with elevated COVID-19 transmission and mortality

Alexandra Ulloa et al. Front Vet Sci. .

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to infect various animal species, including companion animals such as cats. Although direct transmission from cats to humans has not been confirmed, monitoring the prevalence of infection in these animals remains critical as susceptible hosts to SARS-CoV-2, particularly in regions with high COVID-19 case numbers. This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in cats during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lima, Peru.

Methods: Serum samples from 544 cats, collected between 2020 and 2021, were tested for antibodies using a double antigen sandwich ELISA targeting the receptor-binding protein domain (RBD) and the nucleocapsid (N) proteins. This ELISA has a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 100%.

Results: A seroprevalence of 43.8% was observed, with higher rates in females (63.9%), kittens (51.3%), and the Domestic Shorthair breed (93.2%). Among owners diagnosed with COVID-19, 95.5% of their cats were seropositive, with no cross-reactivity observed for other common feline diseases.

Conclusion: These findings suggest significant SARS-CoV-2 exposure and possible infection in cats during the early pandemic phase in Peru. The high seroprevalence observed highlights the need for ongoing surveillance of companion animals, especially in regions with high human infection rates.

Keywords: COVID-19; ELISA; SARS-CoV-2; antibodies; cats; seroprevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Optical densities of domestic cats (n = 544) using a double-antigen ELISA for SARS-CoV-2. Each point represents a serum sample from a cat. The cutoff point was determined based on ROC curves from previous standardization (19). The gray zone is indicated by two dotted lines (0.32535–0.3615), representing 10% below the cut-off OD (20). Error bars represent the median and interquartile range. A statistically significant difference was observed between the optical densities of the groups (p < 0.0001), as determined by the Kruskal-Wallis test.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of positive cat samples (n = 238) by sampling location in Lima, Peru. Lima, the capital of Peru, is divided into 49 districts, organized geographycally into regions such as north, center, east, and west. Frequency was calculated as the number of positive cases in each region divided by the total of positive cases.
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