Nationwide genomic surveillance revealed the presence of viruses, bacteria, and antimicrobial resistance genes associated with animal and human health carried by domestic cats in China

Abstract Background: As a highly popular choice for a household pet worldwide, domestic cats may carry pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) that pose severe risks to human health. However, our knowledge about pathogens and ARGs carried by cats remains limited. This large-scale genomic surveillance study is designed to identify viruses and bacteria as well as ARGs that may pose risks to animal and human health in the upper respiratory tracts of domestic cats in China. Results: Meta-transcriptome sequencing of 1454 oropharyngeal-nasal swabs collected from domestic cats in different living conditions in 22 Chinese provinces identified 371 viral species that can affect the health of animals and humans. A total of 24 viral species that had been known to cause infections in cats were detected. Among them, felis catus gammaherpesvirus 1, feline dependoparvovirus, feline foamy virus, 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. Notably, we identified many well-known viruses associated with public health concerns, including SARS-related coronavirus, monkeypox virus, and Zika virus (ZIKV). For the first time we found cats could be experimentally infected with and transmit ZIKV via mosquito bites, indicating a potential role of domestic cats in the maintenance and spread of the virus. We also identified a substantial number of bacterial species associated with public health, including the ESKAPE pathogens ( Enterococcus faecium , Staphylococcus aureus , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Acinetobacter baumannii , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Enterobacter spp.) which showed a broad detection range. Additionally, a plentiful amount of ARGs, including those conferring resistance to the last resort antibiotics (carbapenems [ bla NDM , bla OXA , bla VIM ], colistin [ mcr ], and high-level tigecycline [ tetX3 , tetX4 , tetX5 , tetX6 ]), were also detected broadly. Conclusions: This study indicate that domestic cats may act as a role in the worldwide emergence and increasing of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance. It is important to monitoring domestic cats within the One Health approach to control these critical global public health issues.