Sebastiano La Spina

Dr. Sebastiano La Spina


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

7Years (2020-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
11 September 2020 in Pathogens
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Nicolò MussoNicolò Musso
Nicolò Musso
ACAngelita Costantino
Angelita Costantino
SSSebastiano La Spina
Sebastiano La Spina
AFAlessandra Finocchiaro
Alessandra Finocchiaro
FAFrancesca Andronico
Francesca Andronico
GEGiovanni Emmanuele
Giovanni Emmanuele
The pandemic respiratory disease COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan in December 2019 and then spread throughout the world; Italy was the most affected European country. Despite close pet–human contact, little is known about the predisposition of pets to SARS-CoV-2. Among these, felines are the most susceptible. In this study, a domestic cat with clear clinical signs of pneumonia, confirmed by Rx imaging, was found to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 using quantitative RT–qPCR from a nasal swab. This is the first Italian study responding to the request of the scientific community to focus attention on the possible role of pets as a viral reservoir. An important question remains unanswered: did the cat actually die due to SARS-CoV-2 infection?