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- Title
Emerging Trends in the Epidemiology of COVID-19: The Croatian 'One Health' Perspective.
- Authors
Vilibic-Cavlek, Tatjana; Stevanovic, Vladimir; Brlek-Gorski, Diana; Ferencak, Ivana; Ferenc, Thomas; Ujevic-Bosnjak, Magdalena; Tabain, Irena; Janev-Holcer, Natasa; Perkovic, Ivana; Anticevic, Mario; Bekavac, Barbara; Kaic, Bernard; Mrzljak, Anna; Ganjto, Marin; Zmak, Ljiljana; Mauric Maljkovic, Maja; Jelicic, Pavle; Bucic, Lovro; Barbic, Ljubo
- Abstract
During the four pandemic waves, a total of 560,504 cases and 10,178 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in Croatia. The Alpha variant, dominant from March 2021 (>50% of positive samples), was rapidly replaced by Delta variants (>90%) by August 2021. Several seroprevalence studies were conducted in different populations (general population, children/adolescents, professional athletes, healthcare workers, veterinarians) and in immunocompromised patients (hemodialysis patients, liver/kidney transplant recipients). After the first pandemic wave, seroprevalence rates of neutralizing (NT) antibodies were reported to be 0.2–5.5%. Significantly higher seropositivity was detected during/after the second wave, 2.6–18.7%. Two studies conducted in pet animals (February-June 2020/July–December 2020) reported SARS-CoV-2 NT antibodies in 0.76% of cats and 0.31–14.69% of dogs, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 NT antibodies were not detected in wildlife. Environmental samples taken in the households of COVID-19 patients showed high-touch personal objects as most frequently contaminated (17.3%), followed by surfaces in patients' rooms (14.6%), kitchens (13.3%) and bathrooms (8.3%). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was also detected in 96.8% affluent water samples, while all effluent water samples tested negative. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in humans, animals and the environment suggests that the 'One Health' approach is critical to controlling COVID-19 and future pandemics.
- Subjects
CROATIA; MEDICAL personnel; SARS-CoV-2; EPIDEMIOLOGY; ENVIRONMENTAL sampling; COVID-19 pandemic; MICROBIAL contamination; COVID-19
- Publication
Viruses (1999-4915), 2021, Vol 13, Issue 12, p2354
- ISSN
1999-4915
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/v13122354