Topic 38 - Feline calicivirus infections Flashcards
Causative agent of feline calicivirus infection:
Vesivirus genus
Species susceptibility of feline calicivirus infection:
Domestic cat and other felids + marine mammals
Resistance of feline calicivirus infection:
High, survival in environment for weeks
How many types of feline calicivirus is there?
One serotype, but several antigenic variants.
When is the feline calicivirus infection often seen?
If the cat comes from a breeding facility. Where there are a lot of cats together and the hygiene rules and epidemiological measures are not observed.
Is feline calicivirus infection worldwide or not?
Worldwide
How is feline calicivirus infection shed?
With excretes
With saliva, may be present in faeces and urine as well
How is feline calicivirus infection transmitted?
By direct contact, by oronasal infection
Indirect contact can lead to disease, but it is less affective
How long can feline calicivirus infection be shed?
Short-term or long-term, some even life-long
How many days are the feline calicivirus infection shedding?
Min 30 days
50% shed on day 75
and a few cats carry the virus life-long
Pathogenesis of feline calicivirus infection:
- Oronasal infection
- Reaches pharynx
- Then it goes to the blood = viraemia
- Via viraemia it goes to other organs
Which other organs can be affected/see lesions by feline calicivirus infection through viraemia?
- Lungs
- Mouth
- Throath
- Joint synovial membranes
- Visceral organs (only affected if there is a violent strain)
Lesions on oral mucosa in case of feline calicivirus infection:
Blisters/erosions in the mouth is VERY characterisitc
Lesions on lungs in case of feline calicivirus infection:
1stage in the lungs is inflammation, only in case of secondary bacterial infection we will se more severe clinical signs, such as: pneumonia
Clinical signs in case of feline calicivirus infection:
- Vesicles/erosions in oral cavity, mainly tongue, lips, nose
- Lameness and fever = limping syndrome
Healing time of feline calicivirus infection in case of vesicles/erosions in oral cavity?
2-3 weeks
Clinical signs of feline calicivirus infection AFTER viraemia?
Which day will the clinical signs appear?
On day 3-4
we will have a 1st fever, with depression and loss of appetite, then there will be a 2nd fever with skin lesions
Healing time of feline calicivirus infection in case of limping syndrome?
within 24-48 hours
Mortality rate of feline calicivirus infection:
Low - if the virulence is low
BUT: Secondary bacterial infection is severe
What is the severe form of feline calicivirus called and what does it cause?
Virulent systemic FCV strain
Causing severe systemic syndrome
Clinical signs of severe form of feline calicivirus form:
- Fever
- Respiratory signs
- Icterus
- Nose and intestinal bleeding
Mortality rate of the severe form of feline calicivirus infection:
30-70%
vaccinated cats cannot be infected with feline calicivirus infection
FALSE
They can. The more virulent strain may break through the immune system, even if vaccinated.
Is feline calicivirus an immunocomplex disease? and what is it?
They suspect it might be
Immuno complex problem = overproducing of antibodies
Will the vaccine influence the shedding time in case of feline calicivirus infection? why, why not?
No
In the presence of antibodies the feline calicivirus will be able to cause persisting infections
What is a clinical sign of feline calicivirus, when there might be other disease in the background?
Chronic stomatitis
How is feline calicivirus connected to chronic stomatitis?
Often we detect the calicivirus in the background, but it is not clarified if it is another virus causing it or only helping
Pathological signs of feline calicivirus:
Same as clinical signs: erosions in the mouth
Pathological signs of the severe form of feline calicivirus:
- vasculitis
- enlarged liver
- pneumonia
- pancreatitis
- pericarditis
How can we diagnose feline calicivirus:
More or less characteristic with the clinical signs, but we also do laboratory testings
Which laboratory tests do we do in case of feline calicivirus?
First we do PCR, but we also do virus isolation parallelly
Differetial diagnosis of feline calicivirus:
Every virus causing respiratory problems: Herpes, bacterial infection
- Feline rhinotracheitis
- Lameness, arthritis
Treatment of Feline calicivirus:
supportive treatment
enteral nutrition
parental fluid
antibiotics (to prevent secondary bacterial infection)
How long will the maternal antibodies protect in case of feline calicivirus?
few weeks, may persist up to 10-14 weeks
Which type of vaccine is used in case of feline calicivirus?
Attenuated and inactivated vaccine
How often is a cat vaccinated against feline calicivirus?
a primary vaccine: 9-12/16 weeks of age
and then yearly vaccination is needed
How to prevent from feline calicivirus?
Hygiene and management
- Closed farming
- Quarantine
- Identification of shedders
What happens if we vaccinate too early?
The maternal antibodies will neutralise the vaccine virus and there will be no immunity after the 1st jab
Name some bacteria that will complicate feline calicivirus infection:
- Bordetella bronchiseptica
- Chlamydophila felis
