Feline Infectious Diseases Flashcards
what are feline infections
Feline panleukopenia virus
Feline leukemia virus
Feline immunodeficiency virus
Feline calicivirus
Feline herpesvirus
Feline infectious peritonitis virus
Feline cowpox virus
Astroviruses
Rotaviruses
Pseudorabies virus
Rabies virus
Microsporum, trichophyton
Giardia lamblia
Toxoplasma gondii
Aspergillus
Bordetella bronchoseptica
Chlamydophila felis
Mycobacterium lepraemurium
Mycobacterium avium complex
Salmonella spp
Clostridium tetani
Mycoplasma haemofelis
Nocardia
EF-4
are cats prone to infections?
Cats are sociable animals
- Groups are small and stable
Mutlicat households are main problem
- Very high density of animals
No specific immunological defect
- The viruses that cats get are hard to treat and control
Most infected cats co-exist with their viruses
- Only a few suffer from serious disease
what type of virus is feline panleukopenia virus (FPV)
parvovirus
what is the tropism of feline panleukopenia virus (FPV)
rapidly dividing cells
what are the clincal syndromes of feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) in fetus <21d, fetus >21d, young kittens, older kittens/cats
Fetus (<21d)
- Abortion
Fetus (>21d)
- Cerebellar hypoplasia
Young kittens
- Sudden death
Older kittens/cats
- Intestinal disease (FIE)
- Severe panleukopenia
what are the clinical signs of feline infectious enteritis
Fever
Inappetance
Anorexia
Vomiting
Severe watery diarrhea in later stages
Secondary bacterial infection important in determining severity of disease
what is the mortality rate of feline infectious enteritis
25-75%
what are ddx for feline infectious enteritis
Foreign body
Profuse vomiting and inappetance
Salmonellosis
Inflammatory bowel disease
Leukemia
how is feline infectious enteritis diagnosed
Clinical signs, history, hematology
Viral isolation
- Feces, oropharyngeal swab
- PCR, canine parvovirus detection kits, EM
Serology
- Acute and convalescent
Pathology
- Fairly characteristic
how is feline infectious enteritis treated
Nursing
- Warmth, rest, cleanliness, palatable food
IV fluids
Anti-emetics
- SC maropitant, IV metoclopramide
IV antibiotics
- Septicemia due to breakdown of intestinal wall —> death
Interferon?
ISOLATION!
how is feline infectious enteritis controlled
Vaccination is very effective
Farm cats, ferrel cats can be very common
In outbreaks
- Strict hygiene is essential
- Vaccination of all in-contact cats
- Premises contaminated for 1 year afterwards
what causes the cat ‘flu’
Feline calicivirus
Feline herpesvirus
Bordetella bronchoseptica
Chlamydophila felis
+/- mycoplasma
+/- secondary infections
Feline coronavirus?
Cowpox?
Reovirus?
how long does cat flu usually last
1-2 weeks duration
rarely fatal but residual damage can be a problem
what does feline herpes virus (FHV) cause
URT disease and ocular signs
conjunctivitis
ulcerative keratitis
what are the possibilities after infection with FHV
After acute infection only 20% of these cats will truly recover
80% will go to a carrier state
All of these the virus will become latent
In the latent state the virus is not being shed and you cannot detect the virus
If the cat becomes stressed then the virus can be reactivated and virus shedding occurs
May or may not show signs with reactivation
how are herpatic ulcers of eyes treated in FHV
Topical interferons
Anti-virals
- Aciclovir 5x day
- Famciclovir
Lysine
Lubrication
- Almost no tear production by lacrimal gland
Secondary infections
how do herpatic ulcers of eye occur
Invades the trigeminal ganglion and causes a herpatic ulcer which may lead to perforation of the globe and loss of the eye
what does feline calicivirus (FCV) cause
URT disease
other syndromes
- Oral ulceration
- Viral arthritis
- Gingivitis/stomatitis
- May be chronic
what is the epizootilogy of feline calicivirus (FCV)
Carrier animals producing the virus and not showing clinical signs
No latent state
Carrier state may lead to transient or persistent shedding of the virus
Depends on the environment the cat is in about how much shedding goes on
Difficult to control because of these reasons
what does severe infection of FCV cause
systemic signs
- Pyrexia
- Jaundice
- Dermatological
- Facial edema
- Often fatal
how are FHV and FCV diagnosed
clinical signs are not reliable for ddx
specific diagnosis important for control but not for treatment
Oropharyngeal swabs
FHV only after reactivation
how is the cat flu treated
Nursing
- Warmth
- Rest
- Clean nose
- Tempting food
Fluids
Antibiotics
Secondary infections
ISOLATE
what does chlamydophila felis cause
conjunctivitis +/- mild rhinitis
how is chlamydophila felis treated
Tetracyclines for at least 2 weeks after signs have resolved
- Doxycycline?
Parenterally in severe cases
how is chlamydophila felis diagnosed
isolation
serology
what does feline coronavirus cause
feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)
all naturally occuring FCoV can cause FIP
most infections are benign
mild diarrhea 2-3 days
predminantly in kittens
what virus causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)
feline coronavirus
can FCoV mutate in the host
yes
important role in FIP
how long is the virus excreted for in feline coronavirus
excreted for some weeks prior to development of clinical signs
some cats become carriers
how are cats infected with feline coronavirus
cats normally infected when kittens by other cats
particularly kittens from other litters
also non-parental adults
what are the differences between feline enteric and systemic disease
enteric disease = ‘FCoV enteritis’
systemic disease = ‘FIP’
what is the enteric disease of feline coronavirus
mild enteritis
virus may still circulate in blood
what does the systemic disease of feline infectious peritonitis cause
FCoV infected monocytes disseminate infection
immune mediated vasculitis
complement fixation
pyogranuloma formation
vascular damage – protein leakage
what are the theories of FIP pathogenesis
Cell-mediated immune (CMI)
what are the two forms of FIP
wet (effusive)
dry (non-effusive)
how is FIP diagnosed
The only definitive way to diagnose FIP is by immunohistopathological examination of a biopsy specimen
Presence of virus
- Serology
- RT-PCR
Systemic inflammation:
- Hematology
- Biochemistry and acute phase protein (alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, AGP)
History
- Age
- Multi-cat household
- Stress
Clinical signs
Fluid analysis
what are the clinical signs of wet FIP
effusive lesions
peritoneal – ascites
pleural – dsypnea
what are the clinical signs of dry FIP
granulomatous lesions
neuro signs
- ataxia
- paresis
- nystagmus
what are the signs of chronic FIP
liver and kidney dysfunction
- jaundice, PU/PD
ocular lesions
- iritis, retinitis
what are clinical signs for both wet and dry FIP
pyrexia
weight loss
depression
any age but generally <2 and occasionally >11
may have signs of both syndromes
what can be seen on clinical pathology with FIP
Hyperglobulinemia
lymphopenia
Neutrophilia
Anemia
how can acute phase proteins be used to diagnose FIP
Elevated levels of a1-acid glycoprotein can help diagnose FIP
>1.5
Serum or effusion AGP
what are common ddx of FIP
Liver disease
- Cholangiohepatitis
- Lymphocytic cholangitis
Neurological disease
- FIV infection
- Lymphosarcoma
- FSE
Kidney disease
- Renal lymphosarcoma
Peritoneal/pleural disease
- Thoracic masses
- Lymphosarcoma
- Bacterial peritonitis
how are FCoV serology results interpreted
Negative
- Probably not FIP
Moderate titres (<320)
- Non-diagnostic
- Consider biopsy of lesions
- Most cases of DRY FIP have moderate titres
High titres (>640)
- Possible FIP
- Must have clinical signs consistent with FIP
how is FIP treated
Generally prognosis is hopeless
- Some cases improve for awhile
- Very rare to recover
If disease is in early stages can try
- Prednisolone
- Interferon
- Antibiotics
- Good nursing
- Remsdesivir
how can Remsdesivir help treat FIP
Broad spectrum anti-RNA viruses
Minimum 12 week course of daily SC injections
Expect treatment to work within first week
If not reconsider diagnosis
Monitor
Biochemistry as dose dependent renal and hepatic toxic
Hematology for evidence of benefit
how if FIP controlled
Vaccination can make disease worse
Either
- Eliminate all coronaviruses by serology
OR
- Separate infected cats and tolerate occasional outbreaks
how efficacious is the FCoV and when is it recommended
One available in USA
- Intranasal
- Primucell FIP
Efficacy?
Antibody mediated enhancement?
Not widely recommended
what do feline mycobacterial infections cause
tuberculosis group:
- respiratory TB
- m. microti and m. microti-like
- cutaneous granulomas
lepromatous group:
- m. lepraemurium “feline leprosy”
Mycobacterium avium complex etc
atypical mycobacterial infections
what does feline cowpox cause
skin lesions on head and neck
how is feline cowpox treated
Usually self limiting
- Can become generalized in FIV positive cats
- Antibiotics to treat secondary infections
- Avoid steroids
- Can make much worse! Need to be sure its cowpox
is feline cowpox zoonotic
yes
