Identification of feline corona- virus in breeding catteries by molecular biological methods and shedding persistency

ABSTRACT

Infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) causes a fatal disease in cats. This virus occurs both in cats bred in households with optimal welfare and outdoor cats. Feline patients with the effusive form of disease usually survive a few days to weeks from the appearance of the first clinical signs. Cats with the non- effusive form survive for weeks to months. FIPV is caused by a mutation from feline enteric coronavirus (FECV). In our study, we diagnosed feline coronavirus from the feces of 82% of the tested cats. The persistence of the feline coronavirus in the organism is influenced by environmental factors, the genome of the host and the causative agent. Negative environmental conditions that increase the likelihood of FIPV disease are long-term stress, mainly more labile individuals and a high concentration of domesticated cats in one place. In the host, there are important factors such as immune system performance, age, breed and genetic background. In our study, we primarily verified the real time RT-PCR method for identifying the virus from the feces of 71 cats and subsequently gaine the valuable data on the dynamics of feline coronavirus excretion, primarily for epizootological purposes and for the purposes of genetic analyzes of susceptibility to infection.