Feline Infectious Disease

Question 1

Feline Infectious Disease

Answer 1

Most significant in a shelter environment:

• Feline Upper Respiratory Track Disease
• Panleukopenia
• Dermatophytosis

Others:

• FeLV
• FIV

Question 2

Feline Upper RespiratoryDisease

Answer 2

“Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)/ Feline Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (FIRDC)”

Primary Infectious Agents:

• Feline herpesvirus-1
• Feline calicivirus
• Chlamydophila felis
• Bordetella bronchisptica
• Mycoplasma

Question 3

Feline Herpes (FHV-1)

Answer 3

• Agent: Feline herpesvirus-1 (formerly feline rhinotracheitis virus)
• Susceptible species: cats
• Zoonotic: no
• Clinical signs: sneexing, nasal and ocular discharge, conjunctivitis oral ulceration (less common); chronic ocular lesions and rhinosinusitis
• Transmission: direct and fomite; prevalence is 90-95%
• Incubation: 1-6 days (environment factors)
• Post-recovery shedding; 80-100% become latent carriers; stress precipitates shedding
• Morbidity/mortality: significantly higher in kittens (fever/depression/inappetence)

Question 4

Calicivirus

Question 5

Chlamydophila

Answer 5

• Agent: Chlamydophila felis (Formerly Chlamydia psittaci)
• Susceptible species: cats
• Zoonotic: no
• Clinical signs: primarily associated with conjunctivitis, often unilateral; conjuncival hyperemia, blepharospasm, chemosis and serous to mucopurulent ocular discharge
• Transmission: dierct and fomite; poor survival outside host; also shed from the reproductive tract infecting kittens at birth
• Post-Recovery shedding: can persist and reoccur for monthe

Question 6

Bordetella

Answer 6

• Agent: Bordetella brochiseptica
• Susceptible species: dogs, cats, rebbits, horses, rodents, pigs
• Zoonotic: rare
• Clinical signs: oculonasal discharg, sneezing, fever, lethargy; coughing is much less common than in dogs; clinical signs mroe severe in kittens (pneumonia/death)
• Transmission: dierct and fomie, survive in fluids
• Post-recovery shedding: not likely sufficient for transmition

Question 7

Mycoplasma

Answer 7

• Agent: Mycoplasma species
• Common sublinical resident bacteria
• Clinical signs: Normal flora of upper respiratory tract; as secondary agent Mycoplasma species can produce lower respiratory tract disease including pneumonia, bronchopneumonia and pyothorax

Question 8

Feline Upper Respiratory Track Disease: information

Answer 8

• Highly Complex: multiple infectious agents and influential factors
  
  • stress
  • Environment/change/overcrowding
  • poor hygeine and/or ventiltion
• Stress, stress, stress!
• Herpesvirus caused the majority of disease
• Calicivirus and Bordetella are more sporadic
• Chlamydophila is uncommon but problematic
• Mycoplasma plays a significant role as a secondary pathogen
• Standardized procedures
  
  • Disease identification
  • Isolation/quarantine measures
  • Treatment: aimed at decreasing stress, preventing o addressing secondary bacterial infections

Question 9

Panleukopena (feline distemper)

Answer 9

• Agent: feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) - non-enveloped, single standed DNA parvovirus
• Susceptible species: cats
• Zoonotic: No
• Clinical signs: febrile, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, sudden death
• Transmission: fecal-oral, direct or via fomit, HIGHLY contagious
• Incubation: 2-14 days (usually 5-7days)
• Post-recovery shedding: up to 6 weeks
• Diagnosis: history, clinical signs, ELISA 9fecal antigen), leukopenia (especially neutropenia), segmental enteritis on necropsy
• Treatment: aggressive symptomatic patient support and shoul only be undertaken if strict isolation can be maintained
• Morbidity/Mortality: variable depending on age, vaccinatino status
• Vaccine: killed and modified live, SQ and IN, efficacy is excellent
• Carrier state: no, but mild or unapparent infection can be common in adults

Question 10

Dermatophytosis (ringworm)

Answer 10

• Agent: Microsporum canis (most common in cats - 90%)
• Susceptible species: cats, dogs, ferrets, others
• Zoonotic: YES
• Clinical signs: extreme variation; includes but not limited to mild to severe alopcia, crusting, scaling, erythema, pruritus, hyperpigmentation, ear margin inflammation, pododermatitis, papules, pustules, etc.
• Transmission: spores present on hair; direct contact, fomite, environment; highly resistant and can persist > 1 year
• Incubation: 2-3 weeks
• Diagnosis: Woods lamp, fungal culture, KOH direct smear
• Treatment: combnation of topical and systemic
• Carrier state: no, but cats may act as mechanical carriers without developing clinical signs themselves

Question 11

Feline Leukemia (FeLV)

Answer 11

• Agent: Feline leukemia virs, enveloped RNA retrovirus
• Susceptible species: Cats
• Zoonotic: no
• Clinical signs: kitten fading syndrome, chronic infllammatory conditions, neopleasi, secondary infections
• Transmission: primarily via saliva and milk but also blood and urine; direct contact or fomite; does not survive long in environment
• Incubation: up to 4 weeks from exposure to viremi; clinical signs may not develop for months
• Diagnosis: ELISA and IFA antigen tests (blood or serum)
• Treatment: N/A
• Morbidity/Mortaliy: moderate reduction in life expectancy
• Vaccine: Yes
• Carrier state: yes, cats may be viremic and appear healthy

Question 12

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

Answer 12

• Agent: enveloped RNA retrovirus
• Susceptible species: cats
• Zoonotic: No
• Clinical signs: chronic inflammatory conditions like stomatitis, neoplasia, secondary infections
• Transmission: Not highly contagious; priarily via saliva, genital fluids
• Incubation: antibodies detected 2-4 weeks pot infection, clinical signs usually develop within 3-6 years post infection
• Diagnosis: ELISA and WestrnBlot serum antibody tests; currently cannot distinguish infection from vacination; false positves in kittens <6 months of age
• Treatment: N/A
• Morbidity/Morality: slightly reduced life expectancy
• Vaccine: yes
• Carrier state: yes, cats may be viremic and appear healthy