Table 8.

Transmission pathways of SARS CoV‐2 for different scenarios in cats (referring to EU), probability of transmission and related preventive and control measures

Pathways	Risk factors	Probability of transmission (P)	Potential preventive and control measures in animals	Potential preventive and control measures in humans	Possible monitoring approach
Human > cat In the next 12 months, out of the households with at least one SARS‐CoV‐2 infected person living with one or more cats in the EU, what is the proportion in which at least one of the cats in the household will become infected?	Household habits Number of household members and/or cats Awareness of probability of transmission to companion animals	Low to moderate (10–66%) Quality of evidence: High, several reports and studies indicating higher risk of infection in cats from infected households (Table 4) Reasoning: Reported median prevalence of infected cats in households with infected humans is 20% (IQR: 8–23) with a maximum reported prevalence of 50% (Table 4).	Not applicable	PPE and good hygiene practices. If tested positive, to avoid close contact with cats, and if possible keep animals outside of affected households To raise awareness to animal owners	If investigation is planned, target sampling cats from infected households
Cat > Human In the next 12 months, out of the cats that will become infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 in the EU, what is the proportion that will transmit the infection to one or more humans in the same household?	Household habits Number of household member and/or cats Awareness of probability of transmission to companion animals Clinical condition and shedding levels of infected cats	Very low to low (< 10% to 33%) Quality of evidence: low Reasoning: Some infected cats, in particular those with clinical signs, can shed high levels of virus (Gonzales et al., 2021), which can be sufficient to infect humans following close contact (Sila et al., 2022; Piewbang et al., 2022).	Restrict movements of infected cat and possibly isolate it.	PPE and good hygiene practices. Avoid close contact with cats	If infected cat is detected, investigate other companion animals and humans at risk (exposed to the cat)
Cat > cat (in same household, shelter) In the next 12 months, out of SARS‐CoV‐2 infected cats in the EU, what is the proportion that will transmit the infection to at least one other cat in the same household or shelter?	Numbers and densities of cats Type of contact and duration of contact Clinical condition and shedding levels of infected cats	Moderate – high (33–90%) Quality of evidence: moderate Reasoning: Transmission between cats can be sustained; R0 > 1 (Gonzales et al., 2021; Gerhards et al., 2022).	Isolate infected cat Restrict movement of infected cat	Not applicable	If infected cat is detected, investigate other companion animals and humans at risk (exposed to the cat)
Cat ‐> other household cats, stray cats 18 In the next 12 months, out of SARS‐CoV‐2 infected household cats in the EU, what is the proportion that will transmit the infection to one or more cats that do not live in the same household (including stray cats)?	Cats' habits Household cats with outdoor access Frequency of contact with other cats Clinical condition and shedding levels of infected cats	Very Low to low (< 10–33%) Reasoning: Transmission between cats can be sustained (Gonzales et al., 2021; Gerhards et al., 2022), however, the duration and intensity of the contact between cats influences the transmission. Quality of evidence: low	Restrict movement of household cat, when infected	Not applicable	Not applicable
Stray cat > other animals In the next 12 months, out of SARS‐CoV‐2 infected stray cats in the EU, what is the proportion that will transmit the infection to one or more ‘non‐stray’ cats or other animals?	Cats habits Number of cat colonies Household cats allowed outside/street access Frequency of contact with other animals Clinical condition and shedding levels of infected cats	Very low to low (< 10–33%) Reasoning: The duration and intensity of the contact between a cat and another animal influences the transmission probability. Quality of evidence: low		Not applicable	Not applicable