The European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD), an independent panel of 17 leading veterinarians from ten European countries, with an expertise in immunology, vaccinology and/or feline medicine, was set up to compile guidelines for the prevention and management of major feline infectious diseases in Europe, based on current scientific knowledge. Their most recent recommendations are on feline panleukopenia
Feline panleukopenia (also known as feline infectious enteritis and feline parvovirus) has been notorious for wiping out local cat populations and has occasionally been referred to as ‘the cat plague’. Mortality rates from this highly contagious parvovirus in susceptible cats are high and can exceed 90 per cent in kittens.
Indoor cats also at risk
‘Indirect contact is the most common way for a cat to become infected, therefore indoor cats are at risk, too,’ according to Professor Uwe Truyen (Leipzig, Germany), ABCD member and internationally recognised specialist on parvoviruses. ‘Feline panleukopenia virus can survive in the environment for several months or even a year, as it is highly resistant, which means that cats don't need to meet other cats to become infected.’
Recommended vaccination protocol
The ABCD's recommended vaccination protocol for feline panleukopenia consists of two kitten injections at nine and 12 weeks of age, followed by a first booster one year later. If this basic programme is carried out correctly, subsequent booster vaccinations can normally be given at intervals of a minimum of three years.
However, the ABCD stresses that maternally derived antibodies (MDAs) against feline panleukopenia virus may persist for longer than previously believed and may neutralise the vaccinal antigen, thereby preventing active immunisation. In particular, kittens from environments with a high infection pressure, such as cat shelters, or from queens that have been vaccinated regularly, for example in breeding catteries, may still have MDAs at 16 or even 20 weeks of age. In these situations, a third vaccination at four months is recommended.
In adult cats with an unknown vaccination history, a single injection followed by a booster after one year is sufficient. Thereafter, boosters may be given at intervals of three years or longer.
Herd immunity too low
‘Thanks to efficient vaccines, we rarely see the disease today. But the virus is still lurking out there and could - and does - occasionally pop up unexpectedly,’ Professor Marian Horzinek (Utrecht, NL), ABCD chairman, added. ‘In order to keep the disease at bay, the vaccinated percentage of any cat population should be as high as possible - certainly higher than the estimated 30 per cent it is today.’
Apart from supportive treatment (fluids, antibiotics and possibly antisera or antivirals) there is no ‘cure’ for the disease, and cats may die in spite of intensive veterinary care. However, vaccines currently on the market are highly effective and efficiently protect cats against the disease, providing they are given according to the recommended protocol.
For further details and downloads of the full-text ABCD Feline Panleukopenia Guidelines, please visit www.abcd-vets.org. These guidelines also give recommendations for specific situations, such as immunocompromised cats, breeding catteries and cats undergoing corticosteroid treatment