Resumen en inglés

COVID-19 is an emerging disease of possible zoonotic origin caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is presumed to have originated in an animal and passed from that animal to humans, in which it has spread very successfully since it was first discovered in late 2019. However, its return from humans to other animal species and again back to humans has been demonstrated, which has involved several mutations and variants that have affected the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The possible routes of transmission and its zoonotic potential are currently under investigation worldwide; however, in Colombia, the epidemiological situation of this pathology cannot be accurately estimated due to the low notification of human and animal cases and fragmented epidemiological surveillance systems. Therefore, carrying out strategies to control zoonoses, such as emerging zoonotic disease surveillance, would benefit the region and the country with an awareness and understanding of the synergies involved under the "One Health" approach. Objective. To characterize SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats in 8 municipalities of the department of Córdoba, Colombia. Methodology. With the approval of the ethics committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico (IIBT) No. 0410-2020 and the ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia of the Universidad de Córdoba Acta No. 005 26 (May 2021). A cross-sectional descriptive molecular and serological surveillance was carried out, where oral and rectal swabs and blood samples were taken proportionally to the estimated population of dogs and cats in the 8 municipalities of the department using the following strategies: house-to-house sampling, deworming, and vaccination campaigns with departmental partners and veterinary centers, and direct request between September 2020 and September 2021. Results. Under the one health approach, this study provided the first genomic report of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.111 lineage infection in a cat in Colombia and the first human-dog transmission event of the IOTA variant in Latin America. Four active cases and an infection rate of 11.5% were identified. Three scientific articles were generated, two presented in a Q2 and a Q1 journal in English, and one to be submitted to a Q2 journal in Spanish where the data obtained from the present investigation were presented and made public. Conclusion. The characterization of SARS-CoV-2 infection in domestic animals living in the department of Córdoba provided relevant information to motivate further research by implementing interdisciplinary and different serological, molecular, and genomic methods of epidemiological surveillance.