Infectious Diseases Flashcards
What agents are the primary and secondary causes of URT infections in cats?
Primary: Feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus
Secondary: Chlamydia, mycoplasma, Bordetella, and reovirus
What are the clinical signs of feline upper resp tract infections?
Oculonasal discharge and sneezing. Once enzootic, mainly manifests as acute disease in young kittens. Older cats undergoing stressors may also have flare ups, but tend to be less severe than kitten disease.
What type of agent is feline herpesvirus? What condition does it cause? Describe.
Alphaherpesvirinae. Feline viral rhinotracheitis.
Acute rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and corneal ulcers. Transmission is via direct contact with oculonasal discharge. Shed from 24h to 3 weeks.
Acute disease resolves in 10-14 days
Latency in trigeminal nerve with 80% of recovered cats becoming carriers and intermittently shedding for life.
Describe the disease caused by feline calicivirus.
Acute URI and stomatitis. Spread via direct oronasal contact with transient viremia 3-4 days post infection. Shed for 30 days, resolves 3-4 weeks post infection. Long-term shedding rare, those that shed for life often do so after re-infection with FCV variants.
Can also cause virulent systemic disease with inflammation, DIC, and organ failure. Up to 67% mortality.
How does Chalmydophila felis present?
Serous conjunctivitis that often self resolves.
How does Mycoplasma felis present in cats?
Primary conjunctivitis with anemia
How does Bordetella bronchiseptica present in cats?
Acute bronchitis and pneumonia, ocular discharge, and death
How long does FCV persist in the environment?
Up to 2 weeks. Nonenveloped.
What condition does feline parvovirus cause? Describe the condition.
Feline panluekopenia.
Diarrhea, lymphopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. Abortions and cerebellar hypoplasia in kittens.
Transmits fecal-oral, high shedding.
Nonenveloped virus that is highly contagious and rapidly accumulates in the environment.
What agent causes feline infectious peritonitis? Where is this agent found and how is it spread?
Feline enteric coronavirus. Alphacoronavirus.
Ubiquitous and endemic in most environments where many cats share close quarters.
Spread via fecal-oral, with shedding from SI and LI 1 week to 18 months post infection.
What clinical signs does feline enteric coronavirus cause?
Subclinical or self-limiting GI signs (Diarrhea)
How long does immunity against feline enteric coronavirus persist? Is it cross protective?
Not life-long, not cross-protective against FIPV.
What is thought to be unique regarding feline enteric coronavirus that causes FIP?
Mutation of FECV. Mutation differs between littermates and different tissues in same animal. Internal mutations vs spread of virulent mutation between animals.
What are risk factors for the development of FIP?
Kittens - More susceptible to mutation during primary infection as they have higher levels and decreased resistance to mutation
Co-infection with other viruses, stress, genetics, coronavirus titer, proportion of FECV shedding, and prevalence of chronic shedders in colony
Housing in groups of >6 animals. </= 3 cats reduces spread
When is clinical disease due to FIP most commonly seen?
5 weeks to 16 months of age.
What are the two forms of FIP? Describe each.
Effusive/wet form: More common, shorter incubation (2-14d), with fever, anorexia, malaise, weight loss, dyspnea, neuro signs, synovitis. Painless abdominal distension from ascites
Dry form: Granulomatous lesions in kidneys, MLns, and liver - painful. CNS involvement. Ocular disease
Can FIP be distinguished serologically?
No. Antigenically indistinguishable. Immunity not cross protective
What would be expected of the effusion from an FIP positive animal?
High protein (>35 g/L), exudate, abundance of neutrophils and macrophages
How long can feline enteric coronavirus persist in the environment?
Up to 2 months
