Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira (Nov 2020)

High occurrence of felid alphaherpesvirus 1 and feline calicivirus in domestic cats from southern Brazil

  • Alice S. Becker,
  • Francielle Liz Monteiro,
  • Ana Carolina A. Scariot,
  • Domitila B. Chagas,
  • Geferson Fischer,
  • Marcelo de Lima,
  • Silvia O. Hübner

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-5150-pvb-6641
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 40, no. 9
pp. 685 – 689

Abstract

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ABSTRACT: Felid alphaherpesvirus 1 (FeHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV) affect cats worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of occurrence of FeHV-1 and FCV in cats with clinical signs of respiratory, oral and/or ocular disease. Samples were collected from cats cared for in veterinary ambulatory and clinics and submitted to molecular detection and viral isolation. Of the 49 cats evaluated, 45 (92%) were positive for at least one of the viruses; 82% (40/49) were positive for FeHV-1 and 41% (20/49) for FCV. Of these, 31% (15/49) were coinfection cases. For FeHV-1, 45% (18/40) of the cats tested were positive from the collection of eye swab, and the same percentage (9/20) was obtained for the FCV by the oral swab. FeHV-1 and/or FCV were isolated in 35% (17/49) of the samples. The main clinical sign observed was ocular secretion in 71% (35/49) of cats, characterized as mild serous, purulent or serosanguineous, and in some cases associated with ocular injury and marked chemosis. Our findings demonstrate the high occurrence of FeHV-1 and FCV in domestic cats in southern Brazil and indicate that measures should be implemented to improve the diagnostic, prevention and management against of these important diseases.

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