Skip to main content
PMC home page
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica logoLink to Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
. 1993 Dec 1;34(4):345–356. doi: 10.1186/BF03548177

Development of Clinical Signs and Occurrence of Feline Corona Virus Antigen in Naturally Infected Barrier Reared Cats and Their Offspring

K Hök 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8112516  PMID: 8147286

Abstract

The onset and pattern of the clinical signs of feline corona virus (FCoV) infection in cats were studied in a setting behind an isolation barrier. Two FCoV-seropositive cats were the source of the infection, and 3 barrier reared cats–initially FCoV-seronegative–were the recipients. The first clinical sign in the recipients appeared 11 days after contact with the source of infection. After 2 years 1 male and 1 female of the recipients started to breed. Their offspring developed clinical signs of disease at an age of 4-5 weeks. A pattern of recurring upper respiratory tract signs and conjunctivitis at intervals of about 4 months was observed in both the recipients and their offspring, while CNS dependent signs and wasting remained or got worse, once developed. Once demonstrated, FCoV antigen persisted in membrana nictitans throughout the investigation, and was found in all cats but 4 (90%). The offspring died during 2 periods, around the first week of life (9/37), and at 3-5 months of age (5/25). For comparison 3 offspring were euthanised at an age of 1 day and 16 offspring at an age of 3-6 months. FCoV antigen was demonstrated in all organs investigated (100%) from offspring dying during the first period, and in 97% from those dying during the second period. For the offspring euthanised during the same 2 periods the corresponding findings were 95% and 85%. Offspring euthanized between 9 and 17 months (4 kittens) had antigen in 67% of all investigated organs. The incidence of FCoV antigen in almost every organ in the investigated newborn kittens suggests an intrauterine infection. The demonstration of FCoV antigen in all euthanised cats, suggests a persistant infection. Virus was cultivated from membrana nictitans, that was FCoV antigen positive in the M3 test.

Keywords: feline infectious peritonitis, FIP, membrana nictitans, M3, test

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.6 MB).

Acknowledgement

The author wishes to thank The Clinical Research Center, Huddinge Hospital for housing the cats, Ragnhild Wictorin for donating the 2 Persian cats in the S-Group, and the National Veterinary Institute for donating the 3 kittens in the R-Group.

References

  1. Carlton WW, Lavignette AM, Szczech GM. A case of feline infectious peritonitis with ocular lesions. J. Amer. Animal Hosp. Ass. 1973;9:256–61. [Google Scholar]
  2. Gaskell RM. The natural history of the major feline viral diseases. J. small Anim. Pract. 1984;25:159–72. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1984.tb00463.x. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hayashi T, Watabe Y, Nakayama H, Fujiwara K. Enteritis due to feline infectious peritonitis virus. Jap. J. vet. Sei. 1982;44:97–106. doi: 10.1292/jvms1939.44.97. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hayashi T, Watabe Y, Takenouchi T, Fujiwara K. Role of circulating antibodies in feline infectious peritonitis after oral infection. Jap. J. vet. Sei. 1983;45:487–494. doi: 10.1292/jvms1939.45.487. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hök Demonstration of feline infectious peritonitis virus in conjunctival epithelial cells from cats. Acta path, microbiol. immunol. scand. 1989;97:820–24. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1989.tb00483.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hök Demonstration of feline corona virus (FCV) antigen in organs of cats suspected of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) Acta path, microbiol. immunol. scand. 1990;98:659–64. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1990.tb04985.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hök A comparison between immuno-fluores-cence staining on smears from membrana nicti-tans (M3 test), immunohistopathology and routine pathology in cats with suspected feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) Acta vet. scand. 1991;32:171–176. doi: 10.1186/BF03546977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hök Morbidity, mortality and Coronavirus antigen in SPF kittens placed in two catteries with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) problem. Acta vet. scand. 1993;34:203–210. doi: 10.1186/BF03548211. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Maess J. Feline infektiöse Peritonitis (FIP). [Feline infectious peritonitis] Kolloquium 28. May 1985. Dtsch. tierärztl. Wschr. 1985;92:449–504. [Google Scholar]
  10. McKeirnan AJ, Evermann JF, Hargis Ott RL. Isolation of feline coronaviruses from 2 cats with diverse disease manifestations. Fel. Pract. 1981;11:16–20. [Google Scholar]
  11. Neu, Pfeifer EG. FIP (Feline infectiöse Peritonitis): Klinishe Frühsymptome und vorausgegangene Belastungen. [Feline infectious peritonitis: early clinical findings and predesposing Stressors] Kleintierpraxis. 1985;30:307–14. [Google Scholar]
  12. Norsworthy GP. Neonatal feline infectious peritonitis. Fel. Pract. 1974;4:34. [Google Scholar]
  13. Norsworthy GD. Kitten mortality complex. Fel. Pract. 1979;9:57–60. [Google Scholar]
  14. Pastoret P-P, Henroteaux M. Epigenic transmission of feline infectious peritonitis. Comp. Immun. Microbiol. Infect.Dis. 1978;1:67–70. doi: 10.1016/0147-9571(78)90012-7. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pedersen NC. Feline infectious peritonitis: Something old, something new. Fel. Pract. 1976;6:42–51. [Google Scholar]
  16. Pedersen NC. Coronavirus diseases (Coronavirus enteritis, feline infectious peritonitis) Diseases of the cat. 1987;1:193–214. [Google Scholar]
  17. Pedersen NC. Feline infectious diseases. In: Pratt PW, Aiello SE, editors. Amer. vet. Publ. incorp. 1988. pp. 41–59. [Google Scholar]
  18. Pedersen NC, Boyle JF, Floyd K. Infection studies in kittens, using feline infectious peritonitis virus propagated in cell culture. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1981;42:363–67. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pedersen NC, Floyd K. Experimental studies with 3 new strains of feline infectious peritonitis virus: FIPV-UCD2, FIPV-UCD3, and FIPV-UCD4. Comp. Cont. Educ. Pract. Vet. 1985;7:1001–11. [Google Scholar]
  20. Siddell S, Wege, Meulen V. The biology of co-ronaviruses. J. gen. Virol. 1983;64:761–776. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-64-4-761. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Scott FW, Weiss RC, Post JE, Gilmartin JE, Hoshino Y. Kitten mortality complex (neonatal FIP?) Fel. Pract. 1979;9:44–56. [Google Scholar]
  22. Stoddart CA, Barlough JE, Scott FW. Experimental studies of a Coronavirus and coronavirus–like agent in a barrier maintained feline breeding colony. Arch. Virol. 1984;79:85–94. doi: 10.1007/BF01314306. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Stoddart ME, Gaskell RM, Harbour DA, Gaskell CJ. The sites of early replication in feline infectious peritonitis. Vet. Microbiol. 1988;18:259–271. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(88)90092-2. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tuch, Witte KH, Wüller Festeilung der Felinen Infektiösen Peritonitis (FIP) bei Hauskatzen und Leoparden in Deutschland. [Demonstration of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) in domestic cats and leopards in Germany] Zbl. Vet. Med. Β. 1974;21:426–41. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0450.1974.tb00519.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Walter J. Der freien Universität Berün. Journal-Nr. 1987. Morphologische und immunhisto–chemi–sche Untersuchungen zur Antigenlokalisation bei der Felinen infektiösen Peritonitis (FIP) unter Verwendungen monoklonaler Antikörper. [Morphological and immunohistochemical studies on the localization of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) antigen using monoclonal antibodies] p. 1347. [Google Scholar]
  26. Walter JH, Rudolph R. Die Feline Infektiöse Peritonitis Histologische und immunhistochemische Untersuchungen zur Antigenverteilung. [Feline infectious peritonitis. Histological and immunohistochemical studies on antigen distribution] Effem–Forschung für Heimtiernahrung. Report. 1988;27:33–42. [Google Scholar]
  27. Ward J, Gribble DH, Dungworth DL. Feline infectious peritonitis: Experimental evidence for its multiphasic nature. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1974;35:1271–75. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wege, Siddell S, Meulen V. The biology and pathogenesis of coronaviruses. Curr. Top. Micro–bioLImmunol. 1982;99:165–200. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-68528-6_5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Weiss RC. Feline infectious peritonitis and other coronaviruses. The cat. Diseases and clinical management. 1989;I:333–355. [Google Scholar]
  30. Weiss RC, Scott FW. Pathogenesis of feline infectious peritonitis: nature and development of viremia. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1981;42:382–90. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Weiss RC, Scott FW. Pathogenesis of feline infectious peritonitis: Pathologic changes and immuno-flu-orescence. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1981;42:2036–48. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica are provided here courtesy of BMC

RESOURCES