Skip to main content
PMC home page
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica logoLink to Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
. 1993 Jun 1;34(2):203–210. doi: 10.1186/BF03548211

Morbidity, Mortality and Coronavirus Antigen in Previously Coronavirus Free Kittens Placed in Two Catteries with Feline Infectious Peritonitis

K Hök 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8112520  PMID: 8266899

Abstract

Serologically coronavirus free kittens were placed in 2 catteries with a history of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), each cattery representing 1 of the 2 different predominant clinical characteristics of FIP - effusive and granulomatous. The kittens were clinically observed for 100 days. A 100% morbidity and a 90% mortality was observed. The first signs were observed after 14 and 27 days respectively. The clinical pattern of the disease was similar in all kittens and showed a pattern of recurrent periods of conjunctivitis, upper respiratory and gastrointestinal signs. Once developed, wasting and signs of CNS disturbances were consistent. The “effusive strain” had a 2 weeks earlier onset of signs and death, and a 40% outcome of effusive FIP. Mean survival times during the observation period were 57 ±26 and 57 ±16 (mean ±SD in days), respectively. The death rates were similar in both groups. Feline coronavirus (FCoV) antigen was immunohistochemically detected using indirect immunofluorescence and was present in all kittens and in 93% of the 5 investigated organs (lung, liver, spleen, kidney, and mesenteric lymph node).

Keywords: FIP, feline corona-virus antigen

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.0 MB).

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank Ragnhild Wictorin and the family Hamrich for housing the kittens and for their assistance, without whom this paper could never have been written and the National Veterinary Institute for supplying the coronavirus free kittens.

References

  1. Addie DD, Jarrett O. A study of naturally occurring feline coronavirus infections in kittens. Vet. Rec. 1992;130:133–137. doi: 10.1136/vr.130.7.133. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Doherty MJ. Ocular manifestation of feline infectious peritonitis. J. Amer. vet. med. A. 1971;159:417–424. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hayashi T, Watabe Y, Nakayama H, Fujiwara K. Enteritis due to feline infectious peritonitis virus. Jpn. J. vet. Sei. 1982;44:97–106. doi: 10.1292/jvms1939.44.97. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hök K. Demonstration of feline infectious peritonitis virus in conjunctival epithelial cells from cats. Acta path, microbiol. immun, scand. 1989;97:820–824. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1989.tb00483.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hök K. Demonstration of feline corona virus (FCV) antigen in organs of cats suspected of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) Acta path, microbiol. immun, scand. 1990;98:659–664. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1990.tb04985.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hök K. A comparison between immunofluorescence staining on smears from membrana nicti-tans (M3 test), immunohisto-pathology 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]
  7. Kornegay JN. Feline infectious peritonitis: the central nervous system form. J. Amer Anim. Hosp. Ass. 1978;14:580–584. [Google Scholar]
  8. Krieglieder H, Geyer S. Befunde der Felinen Infektiösen Peritonitis. [Feline infectious peritonitis]. Tierärztl. Umschau. 1984;39:382–389. [Google Scholar]
  9. Kronevi T, Nordstrom M, Moreno W, Nilsson PO. Feline Ataxia due to nonsuppurative meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown aetiology. Nord. Vet. Med. 1974;26:720–725. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lundgren AL. Feline nonsuppurative meningo-en-cephalo-myelitis. A clinical and pathological study. J. Comp. Path. 1992;107:411–425. doi: 10.1016/0021-9975(92)90015-M. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lutz H, Hauser B, Horzinek MC. Feline infectiousperitonitis (FIP) - the present state of knowledge. J. small Anim. Pract. 1986;27:108–116. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1986.tb02130.x. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  12. Neu H, Pfeifer EG. FIP (Feline Infektiöse Peritonitis): Klinische Frühsymptome und vorausgegangene Belastungen. [Feline infectious peritonitis: early clinical findings and predesposing stressors] Kleintierpraxis. 1984;30:307–314. [Google Scholar]
  13. Pedersen NC, Boyle JF, Floyd K. Infection studies in kittens using feline infectious peritonitis virus propagated in cellculture. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1981;42:363–367. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Pedersen NC, Evermann JF, McKeirnan AJ, Ott RL. Pathogenicity studies of feline coronavirus isolates 79-1146 and 79-1683. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1984;45:2580–2585. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pedersen NC, Floyd K. Experimental studies with three new strains of feline infectious peritonitis virus: FIPV-UCD2, FIPV-UCD3, and FIPV-UCD4. Comp. Cont. Educ. Pract. Vet. 1985;7:1001–1011. [Google Scholar]
  16. Pedersen NC. Coronavirus diseases. Diseases of the cat. 1987;I:193–214. [Google Scholar]
  17. Pedersen NC. Animal virus infections that defy vaccination: Equine infectious anaemia, Caprine arthritis-encephalitis, Maedi-Visna, and Feline infectious peritonitis. Advanc. vet. Sei. Comp. Med. 1989;33:413–28. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-039233-9.50017-2. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Povey RC, Jarrett JO. Viral diseases associated with feline leukemia virus infection. In: Wilkinson GT, editor. Diseases of the cat and their management. Mebourne: Blackwell scientific publications; 1984. pp. 388–430. [Google Scholar]
  19. Stoddart CA, Gaskell RM, Harbour DA, Pearson GR. The sites of early replication in feline infectious peritonitis. Vet. Microbiol. 1988;18:259–71. doi: 10.1016/0378-1135(88)90092-2. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Ström B. Vingelsjuka hos katt. [Staggering disease in the cat] Svensk Vet.-Tidn. 1992;44:19–24. [Google Scholar]
  21. Walter J. Der Freien Universität Berlin. 1987. Morphologische und immunhisto-chemis-che 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] [Google Scholar]
  22. Walter J, 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. 1988;27:33–42. [Google Scholar]
  23. Walter J, Rudolph R. Untersuchungen zur Häufigkeit und zur Pathogenese der Felinen Infektiösen Peritonitis (FIP). [Incidence of feline infectious peritonitis and its pathogenesis] Dtsch. tierärztl.Wschr. 1989;96:194–201. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Ward JM. Morphogenesis of a virus in cats with experimental feline infectious peritonitis. Vir. 1970;41:191–94. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(70)90070-X. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Ward JM, Gribble DH, Dungworth DL. Feline infectious peritonitis: experimental evidence for its Multiphasic nature. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1974;35:1271–75. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. 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]
  27. 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