Sample collection and virome profiling
From September 1, 2022 to October 30, 2022, we collected 1454 oropharyngeal-nasal swabs from domestic cats in catteries (509 samples), animal hospitals (449 samples), and stray bases (496 samples) across 22 provinces in China (Fig. 1A and Table S1). Samples were subsequently organized into 63 pools based on geographical regions and living conditions for meta-transcriptome sequencing, which led to the discovery of a vast number of viruses. Considering the close relationship of domestic cats to human lives, we mainly focused on viruses that are associated with specific groups of vertebrates, which include vertebrate-viruses that are closely related to virus families or genera known to infect humans, non-human primates, and domestic animals, such as cats, dogs, poultry and other birds, and livestock. Additionally, we also analyzed vector-borne viruses that are closely related to human lives, such as mosquitos, flies, mice, and ticks. Due to the frequent association of bat-borne viruses with emerging public health events, this group of viruses were also included for analysis.
According to the results of meta-transcriptome sequencing, a total of 371 viral species belonging to 50 known families and 12 unknown families that are associated with cat and human health as well as potential social and economic impact were characterized (Fig. 1B). Among them, viruses belonging to family Arenaviridae, Flaviviridae, Herpesviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Picobirnaviridae, Retroviridae, Sedoreoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Adenoviridae, Papillomaviridae, Mitoviridae, Iridoviridae, Coronaviridae, Hepadnaviridae, Heterophyidae, Nairoviridae, Baculoviridae, Peribunyaviridae, Narnaviridae, and Caliciviridae were frequently detected and showed a relatively high abundance in cats living in diverse conditions and regions, while other viral families were only sporadically detected (Fig. 1B). The frequently detected viruses (> 85% sample pools) included cytomegalovirus, lentivirus, lymphocryptovirus, mammarenavirus, oryzopoxvirus, vesiculovirus, gammaretrovirus, orthoavulavirus, orthopicobirnavirus, alphapapillomavirus, mastadenovirus, orbivirus, rotavirus, flavivirus, simplexvirus, mitovirus, pestivirus, lymphocystivirus, orthohepadnavirus, and orthoreovirus (Fig. 2; Fig. S1).
Characterization of viruses associated with domestic cats and other animals
A total of 24 viral species that had been known to cause infections in cats were detected (Fig. 3A). Among them, feline calicivirus (FCV) was the most commonly detected virus with a broad geographical region of detection, followed by feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline sarcoma virus (FSV), feline astrovirus (FeAstV), feline coronavirus (FCoV), rotavirus I, felid alphaherpesvirus 1 (FeHV-1), and feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) in sequence (Fig. 3B). The detection of certain viruses in cats was found to be region-specific or dependent on the living conditions of the cats. For example, FeHV-1 was not detected in cats residing in southern and southwest China, and feline picobirnavirus (FPBV) was exclusively detected in cats from eastern China (Fig. 3). Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), FPBV, felis catus papillomavirus 3 (FcaPV-3), and fesavirus 4 were only detected in cats living in catteries, whereas feline bocaparvovirus 2 (FBPV-2), feline dependoparvovirus (FDPV), and norovirus GIV.2 were only detected in cats in animal hospitals (Fig. 3). Notably, felis catus gammaherpesvirus 1 (FcaGHV1), FDPV, feline foamy virus (FeFV), Fesavirus 4, puma lentivirus, and puma lentivirus-14 were detected in Chinese cats for the first time.
Our study also identified the presence of nucleic acids from viruses associated with other animal species commonly found in human daily lives, including poultry, birds, pigs, cattle and other ruminants, minks, rabbits, and dogs (Fig. 4, Fig. S2). The most frequently detected viruses for these animal species are avian avulavirus 1 (n = 62), porcine endogenous retrovirus (n = 60), mammalian orthoreovirus 5 (n = 54), classical swine fever virus (CSFV) (n = 48), porcine endogenous retrovirus A (n = 44), bluetongue virus (n = 61), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) (n = 54), and canine adenovirus (n = 41) (Fig. 4). Interestingly, African swine fever virus (ASFV) (n = 38), canine coronavirus (n = 12), and mink coronavirus 1 (n = 4) were detected (Fig. 4), along with several bat-borne viruses from eight known viral families (Fig. S3). Among them, viruses belonging to the family of Herpesviridae were frequently detected but their abundances were relatively lower than those from other families (Fig. S3). Additionally, five alphacoronavirus (α-CoV) were included in the detected bat-borne viruses.
Characterization of viruses associated with public health concerns
We also identified various 85 species may cause infections in humans and primates (Fig. 5), including SARS-related coronavirus, influenza A virus (IAV), and more strikingly, monkeypox virus, Zika virus (ZIKV), yellow fever virus (YFV), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever orthonairovirus (CCHFV), and various human-infecting viruses which are acquired mainly through blood, such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV). Notably, SARS-related coronavirus, ZIKV, HBV, CCHFV, HCV, and HEV were detected in a broad geographic region (Fig. 5). For example, SARS-related coronavirus was detected in 35 sequencing pools from all seven regions in China, while ZIKV was detected in 55 sample pools from the same regions. However, IAV, YFV and monkeypox virus were detected sporadically (Fig. 5). IAV was only detected in16 sequencing pools from Northeast China (n = 2), Northern China (n = 2), Eastern China (n = 4), Southern China (n = 2), Northwest China (n = 2), and Southwest China (n = 4); while YFV was only detected in pools from Eastern (n = 2), Southern (n = 2), and Central (n = 1) China. Notably, monkeypox virus was detected in one pool each from Northeast and Northern China.
Domestic cats can be infected with and transmit ZIKV via mosquito bites
Given the frequent detection of ZIKV in various regions of China and the high risk of transmission of arthropod-borne viruses from animals to humans, we next investigated the potential of domestic cats to be infected with and transmit ZIKV. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes were fed on ZIKV-infected A129 mice in viremia period (Fig. S4A), resulting in an infection rate of approximately 70% in these mosquitos (Fig. S4B, C), while mosquitoes fed on mock-infected mice were used as a negative control. Subsequently, three 2-month-old domestic cats were exposed to mosquitoes that had fed on either ZIKV or mock-infected mice (Fig. 6A). Oral swabs were collected daily after mosquito-bites, while blood was collected every other day. At 5 days post infection (dpi), a relatively low abundance of viral RNA was detected in oral swabs from two out of three cats that were exposed to ZIKV-infected mosquitoes, while only one cat showed the presence of viral RNA in oral swabs at 6 dpi (Fig. 6B). However, all three cats showed obvious viremia at 4 and 6 dpi. This was determined by the detection of viral RNA in their blood (Fig. 6C) and the presence of infectious virus at 4 dpi (Fig. 6D). The above findings suggest that domestic cats can be infected with ZIKV through mosquito bites and harbor the virus in their blood.
To evaluate the potential transmission of ZIKV from domestic cats to other mammalian hosts, the infected cats in viremia period were subjected to biting by naive mosquitos (Fig. 6A). At 8 days post-bite, the mosquitos were fed on naive A129 mice for a second blood meal. The viral loads in both mosquitoes and mice were then determined. We found that about 15% of mosquitos were infected with ZIKV (Fig. 6E, F), and the viral RNA were detected in blood and various organs of mice (Fig. 6G, H). As a result, all mice died following a significant decrease of body weight (Fig. 6I, J). These findings reveal that the domestic cats infected with ZIKV is able to transmit the virus through mosquito bites.
To further verify whether the domestic cats can be infected with ZIKV in natural condition, the serum samples were collected from 18 adult cats living in stray bases in Ezhou, Hubei province, China. The neutralization antibodies against ZIKV were then detected using a plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), and the results showed that six cats had neutralization antibodies of ZIKV in their serum (Fig. S4D). This supports our conclusion that domestic cats may play a potential role in maintaining and spreading ZIKV.
Characterization of bacterial species with public health impact
To comprehensively understand the composition and prevalence of bacterial agents in domestic cats, the DNA samples were also subjected to metagenomic sequencing. The results revealed the presence of 18,381 bacterial species belonging to 2,926 genera (Table S2). The most abundant genera detected are Neisseria, Enterococcus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Bordetella, Moraxella, Pasteurella, Streptococcus, Acinetobacter, and Staphylococcus (Fig. 7A). Notably, the ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp.) were commonly identified in the upper respiratory tracts of cats from various regions in China (Fig. 7B). In addition, several other species, including Pasteurella multocida, Streptococci, Staphylococci, Neisseria, Moraxella spp., and Bordetella bronchiseptica which frequently cause infections in humans via cat bites or scratches, were also commonly detected in upper respiratory tracts of cats from various regions with high abundances (Fig. 7B).
Characterization of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs)
The analysis of metagenomic sequencing data revealed the presence of large amounts of ARGs in the respiratory tracts of cats (Table S3 and Fig. S5). Multiple ARGs conferring resistance to World Health Organization (WHO) listed critically important agents for human medicine with highest priority, including 3rd/4th/5th-generation cephalosporins (blaCTX-M-series, blaTEM-1/blaTEM-131/blaTEM-136, blaSHV/blaSHV-1, blaPER-series, blaVEB-series, blaGES-13, blaOXA-series), glycopepides (vanABCDEGHMNRSTUVXYZ), macrolides and ketolides (e.g., ermA, ermB, ermF), polymyxins (mcr-series), and quinolones (e.g., qnrA, qnrB, qnrS) (Fig. 8A). We next investigated the distribution of ARGs conferring resistance to last-resort antimicrobials, such as carbapenems, colistin, and tigecycline. Our analysis revealed the presence of three families of mobile carbapenem resistance genes (blaNDM, blaOXA, blaVIM), one family of mobile colistin resistance genes (mcr), and one family of mobile genes mediating resistance to high-level tigecycline (tetX). These worrisome ARGs were widely detected in the respiratory tracts of cats from various regions of China (Fig. 8B). Cats from catteries and animal hospitals carried more ARGs than cats in stray bases, but there was no significant difference in the abundance of ARGs carried by cats from catteries and animal hospitals (Fig. 8C).