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Updated: Jul 20, 2026

High-throughput Detection of Respiratory Pathogens in Animal Specimens by Nanoscale PCR
Published on: November 28, 2016
Frequency of respiratory pathogens and SARS-CoV-2 in canine and feline samples submitted for respiratory testing in
H T Michael1, T Waterhouse1, M Estrada2
1IDEXX Laboratories, Inc, 1 IDEXX Drive, Westbrook, ME, 04092, USA.
Objectives:
The emergence of the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has necessitated evaluation of the potential for SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats. Using a large data set, we evaluated the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens in samples submitted for respiratory testing from mid-February to mid-April 2020.
Materials And Methods:
A SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR was developed and validated. A subset of canine and feline samples submitted for respiratory pathogen panel testing to reference laboratories in Asia, Europe, and North America were also tested for SARS-CoV-2. The frequency of respiratory pathogens was compared for the February-April period of 2020 and 2019.
Results:
Samples from 4616 patients were included in the study and 44% of canine and 69% of feline samples were PCR positive with Mycoplasma cynos and Bordetella bronchiseptica and Mycoplasma felis and feline calicivirus, respectively. No SARS-CoV-2 infections were identified. Positive results for respiratory samples were similar between years.
Clinical Significance:
The data in this study suggest that during the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in early 2020, respiratory diseases in tested pet cats and dogs were caused by common veterinary pathogens and that SARS-CoV-2 infections in dogs and cats are rare.
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