Detection of Feline Coronavirus Variants in Cats without Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Stéphanie Jähne,
Sandra Felten,
Michèle Bergmann,
Katharina Erber,
Kaspar Matiasek,
Marina L. Meli,
Regina Hofmann-Lehmann,
Katrin Hartmann
Affiliations
Stéphanie Jähne
Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539 Munich, Germany
Sandra Felten
Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539 Munich, Germany
Michèle Bergmann
Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539 Munich, Germany
Katharina Erber
Section of Clinical and Comparative Neuropathology, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539 Munich, Germany
Kaspar Matiasek
Section of Clinical and Comparative Neuropathology, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539 Munich, Germany
Marina L. Meli
Clinical Laboratory, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Regina Hofmann-Lehmann
Clinical Laboratory, Department of Clinical Diagnostics and Services, Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
Katrin Hartmann
Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539 Munich, Germany
(1) Background: This study aimed to detect feline coronavirus (FCoV) and characterize spike (S) gene mutation profiles in cats suffering from diseases other than feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) using commercial real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and reevaluating results by sequencing. (2) Methods: In 87 cats in which FIP was excluded by histopathology and immunohistochemistry, FCoV 7b gene and S gene mutation RT-qPCR was performed prospectively on incisional biopsies and fine-needle aspirates of different organs, body fluids, and feces. Samples positive for S gene mutations or mixed FCoV underwent sequencing. (3) Results: In 21/87 cats, FCoV RNA was detectable. S gene mutations were detected by commercial RT-qPCR (and a diagnostic algorithm that was used at the time of sample submission) in at least one sample in 14/21 cats (66.7%), with only mutated FCoV in 2/21, only mixed in 1/21, and different results in 11/21 cats; in the remaining 7/21 cats, RNA load was too low to differentiate. However, sequencing of 8 tissue samples and 8 fecal samples of 9 cats did not confirm mutated FCoV in any of the FCoV RNA-positive cats without FIP. (4) Conclusions: Sequencing results did not confirm results of the commercial S gene mutation RT-qPCR.
