Cat virus fip

FIP is very difficult to diagnose. In other words, although serology tests are commonly used to check for the presence of antibodies to the virus, a positive antibody titer is not diagnostic for FIP.

A positive test simply means the animal has been exposed to FCoV and has produced antibodies against it. Healthy cats may be seropositive meaning they have antibodies against FCoV , while cats with the wet form of FIP may be seronegative because the virus in their body binds with the antibodies, rendering the test inaccurate. To further complicate matters, test results must be interpreted cautiously because laboratories are notorious for producing inconsistent results when testing for this particular disease.

It was believed that a specialized test called the polymerase chain reaction PCR assay that checks for the virus rather than antibodies would be more specific for diagnosing FIP, but it is expensive, not widely available and it is still being debated as to whether it is specific and definitive for FIP.

The most accurate method of diagnosing the disease is through tissue testing. There is an immunoperoxidase test that detects virus-infected cells in the tissues.

It, like routine tissue testing, requires a biopsy to perform this test. A diagnosis of FIP is made by carefully correlating all the test results with the history and clinical symptoms. Even then, the diagnoses are often considered to be presumptive. The most accurate, definitive diagnoses are made at necropsy autopsy. There is no treatment or cure for cats that are sick with the disease.

Palliative measures exist that may make the cat more comfortable, but once clinical signs appear, most animals only live for a few weeks up to a year. Furthermore, there are no treatment or preventive measures to prevent cats that are infected with FCoV from developing FIP. Treatment of animals in the shelter is not advised. Many of the measures that would be recommended to prevent FIP in catteries are inappropriate in shelters because of the open nature of admissions in shelters and the limited usefulness of testing.

The temptation is to test all cats in the shelter for FCoV whenever a case of FIP is diagnosed, but the testing has little value for determining if cats are suitable for rehoming.

Serology tests are not specific for FIP, and once FCoV is in the shelter, most cats will have been exposed, developed an antibody titer against it and thus test positive. The test has no predictive value for determining which healthy cats will develop the disease. It can be said that a cat that tests negative for FCoV cannot develop FIP, but that cat may actually be at greater risk than a healthy positive cat because he has no previous exposure and thus no immunity to it.

Widespread or routine testing for FCoV in shelters is not recommended, and no healthy shelter cat should be euthanized for FIP because of a positive serology test. Cats in shelters that are seropositive can and should be rehomed. Purebred cats like this Sphynx seem to be affected more commonly by the disease.

Courtesy of Hannah Dewerchin, Ghent University. In effusive FIP, the fluid that accumulates typically has a very high protein content, and is often a clear-yellowish colour. However, other diseases including some liver diseases and neoplasia can also cause a similar fluid accumulation.

With non-effusive disease, infection with FIPV predominantly causes chronic long-standing inflammatory lesions to develop around blood vessels in many different organs and sites in the body. Thus, a wide range of signs may be observed including neurological disease e. In most cases of FIP, once clinical signs have started, they tend to get progressively worse over time, and in most cases though not all the time course for disease is rapid, with cats deteriorating to the point that euthanasia is usually required within a matter of days or weeks.

It is thought that non-effusive cases of FIP are where the cat has developed a partially effective immune response that helps to limit viral replication — this may prevent development of effusions, but is not sufficient to stop disease development. In a number of cats, signs may develop that are a combination of both effusive and non-effusive disease.

Although FIP can occur in cats of any age, it is most often seen in young cats. FIP is also more common in cats kept in groups or colonies especially breeding households as this is an environment where FCoV infections are spread easily.

There is evidence that genetics can also play a role in susceptibility to disease, although this is complex. FIP is a very difficult disease to deal with because there are no clinical signs that are specific for the diagnosis of FIP, and no simple blood test to confirm a diagnosis. FIP may be considered more likely when:. None of these blood changes are specific for FIP, occurring with other diseases too, but if multiple changes are seen in combination with appropriate signs, a diagnosis of FIP becomes more likely.

Many of these abnormalities may also not be present in the early stages of the disease, but may become evident as the disease progresses. Thus some tests that give normal results may have to be repeated later. If an effusion is present in the abdomen or chest cavity, obtaining a sample of the fluid and analysing the cell and protein content can be extremely helpful.

Because this test is very helpful, and because few other diseases cause this type of fluid accumulation, when FIP is suspected a vet will often take X-rays or do an ultrasound examination to see if fluid is present so that a sample can be collected for analysis.

Looking for the presence of antibodies against the virus in a blood sample coronavirus serology is of very limited value — antibodies against FCoV develop irrespective of the type of virus infecting a cat and the antibody test cannot differentiate between different strains of the virus. A very large number of perfectly healthy cats are therefore positive on this test. The best test to confirm a diagnosis of FIP is to collect a biopsy usually done through a surgical operation from affected tissues.

With FIP, unfortunately, a cat may be too sick for surgery to be performed, and so in many cases a definitive diagnosis may only made on post-mortem examination using immunohistochemistry, as above. Early symptoms of FIP include fever, weight loss, decreased appetite and lethargy. In this form of the disease fluid builds up in the abdomen making a swollen tummy one of the most obvious signs. This might also happen in the chest cavity causing breathing problems.

In this case of FIP in cats there will be minimal fluid accumulation and the symptoms will be vague and not specific to only one illness: weight loss, vomiting or lethargy. Inflammation might also develop and affect various organs such as eyes, kidneys, lungs or skin. With no disease-specific symptoms and no blood tests currently available to confirm FIP, there is no simple way for vets to come to a diagnosis. This is why a series of tests will be used including blood work to identify any abnormalities or x-rays to look for fluid build-up in the body.

A biopsy of inflamed tissues has the best chances of revealing FIP in cats, but this requires surgery which is not recommended if a cat is too ill. And even if the biopsy is performed this does not always result in a definite diagnosis. Unfortunately, FIP is a fatal disease in many cases, but there are treatment options that will alleviate some of the symptoms to help make your cat more comfortable.

However, research for FIP treatment options continues and there are early signs that medication or even a vaccine that prevents this disease might be possible one day. At the moment, the best thing pet owners can do is discuss all the available options which can include supportive treatments where appropriate with their vet and be emotionally prepared for the situation in which euthanasia is the most humane step to take.

Without a vaccine, currently there is no known way to prevent the feline coronavirus from triggering the FIP disease. Care must be taken to ensure that the test is performed properly and interpreted correctly. False negatives occur regularly with low infected cellularity or when the virus has been bound by antibody complexes. PCR can be used to detect viral genetic material in tissue or body fluid; there are no effective PCR tests for detecting virus in the blood.

Unfortunately, these drugs are not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration FDA and are not publicly available. Black market versions are appearing, but it is important to remember there is no regulation of these drugs including no verification of their authenticity or safety.

This puts veterinarians in a difficult position of being aware of possible life-saving treatment but unable to recommend it. Until these drugs are approved and legally available, FIP will remain an essentially untreatable disease in shelters. However, the inexorable course of the disease means that euthanasia is still often considered as a humane choice for clinically affected cats in shelters.

Given that FIP itself is not generally transmitted cat-to-cat and coronavirus is so commonly present in multiple cat populations without causing apparent harm, it is challenging to understand what accounts for FIP development. Although the dynamics of FIP transmission and development are poorly understood, several factors likely contribute to situations where FIP occurs with a higher-than-expected frequency:. These practices minimize the vulnerability of cats to pathogens, like feline coronavirus, by minimizing their exposure, infectious dose and transmission.

There are inherent challenges to creating a truly reliable vaccine for FCoV, given that even natural infection does not convey lasting immunity.

Results of studies regarding the efficacy of this vaccine have been variable, some showing no efficacy and others showing limited efficacy under certain circumstances. One study showed a significantly decreased risk of FIP in cats that were seronegative for FCoV at the time of vaccination. Although there may be some benefit to giving the vaccine to cats that have never before been exposed to a multi-cat environment and are therefore relatively likely to be seronegative , most shelter cats will have long since been exposed by the time the recommended booster vaccine can be administered.

Fortunately, the most commonly used disinfectants will inactivate feline coronavirus. Best cleaning practices include:. However, it is not a guarantee that a sibling will develop FIP and many will not develop the disease. If the decision is made to place these kittens for adoption, their exposure to FIP should be disclosed. These kittens likely pose little risk to resident adult cats in a household.

Cats in a home experience much less stress than cats in shelters, and cats over two years of age are at even less risk of developing disease. The risk of maintaining these kittens in a shelter is unknown. It is highly likely the kitten, even if asymptomatic, is shedding a strain of feline coronavirus that mutated to FIPV in another kitten the FIP sibling.

If the kitten is in a foster home, maintaining the kitten in the home and adopting through the foster home may be a possibility for some shelters. Unrelated kittens exposed to an FIP kitten are at no greater risk of developing the disease than kittens never exposed. No special adoption disclosure is warranted. Addie DD et al. Use of a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for monitoring the shedding of feline coronavirus by healthy cats.

Vet Rec ; Risk of feline infectious peritonitis in cats naturally infected with feline coronavirus. Am J Vet Res ; Persistence and transmission of natural type I feline coronavirus infection. J Gen Virol ; Cave TA et al. Risk factors for feline coronavirus seropositivity in cats relinquished to a UK rescue charity.