Abstract
Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) is a worldwide viral infection of felids. The disease is usually asymptomatic, but it can cause mild diarrhoea; however, few numbers of cases may develop a severe systemic disease known as feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). This study aims to determine the prevalence of FCoV shedding in the faeces of stray cats in Kuwait and detect antibodies against FCoV in their serum. Histopathological analyses and RT‑PCR were used to prove cases of FIP. A total of 178 cats were examined for the presence of FCoV in their faeces using a rapid immunochromatography (IC) test. Anti‑FCoV Antibody (Anti‑FCoV Ab) was detected in their serum using ELISA. Eleven samples were tested using RT‑PCR to confirm positive cases. The prevalence of FCoV faecal antigen in stray cats was 32.6%. The overall detection rate of Anti‑FCoV Ab in stray cats was 44.9%. Nine cats tested positive using the RT‑PCR test. Six out of those nine were confirmed to be FIP positive through gross and histopathological examination. The characteristic uveitis and discoloration of the irises were seen. The present study is the first report confirming FCoV infection in stray cats in Kuwait. Postmortem and histopathological lesions in cases of FIP were recorded.
References
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Mosallanejad, B., Avizeh, R., & Seyfiabad Shapouri, M.2012. Antibody detection of feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) in sera of companion cats in Ahvaz, south west of Iran. Arch Razi Inst, 67(1), 69–74.
Pedersen, N.C. 2014. An update on feline infectious peritonitis: virology and immunopathogenesis. Vet J, 201(2), 123–132.
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Sabshin, S.J., Levy, J.K., Tupler, T., Tucker, S.J., Greiner, E.C., & Leutenegger, C.M. 2012. Enteropathogens identified in cats entering a Florida animal shelter with normal feces or diarrhea.J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., 241(3), 331–337.
Sharif, S., Arshad, S.S., Hair-Bejo, M., Omar, A.R., Zeenathul, N.A., & Alazawy, A. 2010. Diagnostic methods for feline coronavirus: a review. Vet Med Int, 2010, 809480.
Soma, T. 2016. Feline coronavirus RT-PCR assays for feline infectious peritonitis Diagnosis. In Wang, L., editor, Animal Coronaviruses., Springer Protocols Handbooks, pages 161–172, New York, USA. Humana Press.
Tasker, S. 2018. Diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis: Update on evidence supporting available tests. J Feline Med Surg, 20(3), 228–243.
Tekes, G. & Thiel, H.J. 2016. Feline coronaviruses: Pathogenesis of feline infectious peritonitis. Adv Virus Res, 96, 193–218.
Barker, E.N., Stranieri, A., Helps, C.R., Porter, E.L., Davidson, A.D., Day, M.J., Knowles, T., Kipar, A., &Tasker, S. 2017. Limitations of using feline coronavirus spike protein gene mutations to diagnose feline infectious peritonitis. Vet Res, 48(1), 60.
Benetka, V., Kübber-Heiss, A., Kolodziejek, J., Nowotny, N., Hofmann-Parisot, M., & Möstl, K. 2004. Prevalence of feline coronavirus types I and II in cats with 407 histopathologically verified feline infectious peritonitis. Vet Microbiol, 99(1), 31–42.
Crawford, A.H., Stoll, A.L., Sanchez-Masian, D., Shea, A., Michaels, J., Fraser, A.R., & Beltran, E. 2017. Clinicopathologic features and magnetic resonance imaging findings in 24 cats with histopathologically confirmed neurologic feline infectious peritonitis. J Vet Intern Med, 31(5), 1477–1486.
Desmarets, L.M., Vermeulen,B.L., Theuns, S., Conceição-Neto, N., Zeller, M., Roukaerts, I.D., Acar, D.D., Olyslaegers, D.A., Van Ranst, M., Matthijnssens, J., & Nauwynck, H.J. 2016. Experimental feline enteric coronavirus infection reveals an infection pattern and shedding of mutants with impaired infectivity in enterocyte cultures. Sci Rep, 6, 20022.
Drechsler, Y., Alcaraz, A., Bossong, F.J., Collisson, E.W., & Diniz, P.P. 2011. Feline coronavirus in multicat environments. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract, 41(6), 425 1133–1169.
El-Azazy, O.M., Abdou, N.E.M.I., Khalil, A.I., Al-Batel, M.K., Majeed, Q.A., Henedi, A.A., & Tahrani, L.M. 2015. Potential zoonotic trematodes recovered in stray cats from Kuwait municipality, Kuwait. Korean J Parasitol, 53(3), 279–287.
Felten, S. & Hartmann, K. 2019. Diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis: A Review of the Current Literature. Viruses, 11(11), 1068.
Felten, S., Klein-Richers, U., Hofmann-Lehmann, R., Bergmann, M., Unterer, S., Leutenegger, C.M., & Hartmann, K. 2020. Correlation of feline coronavirus shedding in feces with coronavirus antibody titer. Pathogens, 9(8), 598.
Felten, S., Leutenegger, C.M., Balzer, H.J., Pantchev, N., Matiasek, K., Wess, G., Egberink, H., & Hartmann, K. 2017. Sensitivity and specificity of a real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction detecting feline coronavirus mutations in effusion and serum/plasma of cats to diagnose feline infectious peritonitis. BMC Vet Res, 13(1), 228.
Harpold, L., Legendre, A., Kennedy, M., Plummer, P., Millsaps, K., & Rohrbach, B. 1999. Fecal shedding of feline coronavirus in adult cats and kittens in an Abyssinian cattery. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., 215(7), 948–951.
Hartmann, K. 2005. Feline infectious peritonitis. Vet. Clin. N. Am. Small Anim. Pract., 35, 39–79.
Hildreth, A.M., Vantassel, S.M., & Hygnstrom, S.E. 2010. Feral cats and their management. Nebraska Extension Publication, University Nebraska- Linclon, EC1781. https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/ec1781.pdf Access online 18-01-2021.
Holst, B., Englund, L., Palacios, S., Renstrum, L., & Berndtsson, L. 2006. Prevalence of antibodies against feline coronavirus and Chlamydophila felis in Swedish cats. J Feline Med Surg, 8(3), 207–211.
Jaimes, J.A. & Whittaker, G.R. 2018. Feline coronavirus: Insights into viral pathogenesis based on the spike protein structure and function. Virology, 517, 108–121.
Kennedy, M.A. 2020. Feline infectious peritonitis: Update on pathogenesis, diagnostics, and treatment. Vet. Clin. North Am. Small Anim. Pract., 50(5):1001–1011.
Klein-Richers, U., Hartmann, K., Hofmann-Lehmann, R., Unterer, S., Bergmann, M., Rieger, A., Leutenegger, C., Pantchev, N., Balzer, J., & Felten, S. 2020. Prevalence of Feline Coronavirus Shedding in German Catteries and Associated Risk Factors. Viruses, 12(9), 1000.
Lorusso, E., Mari, V., Losurdo, M., Lanave, G., Trotta, A., Dowgier, G., Colaianni, M.L., Zatelli, A., Elia, G., Buonavoglia, D., & Decaro, N. 2019. Discrepancies between feline coronavirus antibody and nucleic acid detection in effusions of cats with suspected feline infectious peritonitis. Res Vet Sci, 125, 421–424.
McKay, L.A., Meachem, M., Snead, E., Brannen, T., Mutlow, N., Ruelle, L., Davies, J.L., & van der Meer, F. 2020. Prevalence and mutation analysis of the spike protein in feline enteric coronavirus and feline infectious peritonitis detected in household and shelter cats in western Canada. Can J Vet Res, 84(1), 18–23.
Mosallanejad, B., Avizeh, R., & Seyfiabad Shapouri, M.2012. Antibody detection of feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) in sera of companion cats in Ahvaz, south west of Iran. Arch Razi Inst, 67(1), 69–74.
Pedersen, N.C. 2014. An update on feline infectious peritonitis: virology and immunopathogenesis. Vet J, 201(2), 123–132.
Pedersen, N.C., Allen, C.E., & Lyons, L.A. 2008. Pathogenesis of feline enteric coronavirus infection. J Feline Med Surg, 10(6), 529–541.
Pedersen, N.C., Eckstrand, C., Liu, H., Leutenegger, C., & Murphy, B. 2015. Levels of feline infectious peritonitis virus in blood, effusions, and various tissues and the role of lymphopenia in disease outcome following experimental infection. Vet Microbiol, 175(2-4), 157–166.
Pedersen, N.C., Liu, H., Scarlett, J., Leutenegger, C.M., Golovko, L., Kennedy, H., & Kamal, F.M. 2012. Feline infectious peritonitis: role of the feline coronavirus 3cgene in intestinal tropism and pathogenicity based upon isolates from resident and adopted shelter cats. Virus Res, 165(1), 17–28.
Sabshin, S.J., Levy, J.K., Tupler, T., Tucker, S.J., Greiner, E.C., & Leutenegger, C.M. 2012. Enteropathogens identified in cats entering a Florida animal shelter with normal feces or diarrhea.J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., 241(3), 331–337.
Sharif, S., Arshad, S.S., Hair-Bejo, M., Omar, A.R., Zeenathul, N.A., & Alazawy, A. 2010. Diagnostic methods for feline coronavirus: a review. Vet Med Int, 2010, 809480.
Soma, T. 2016. Feline coronavirus RT-PCR assays for feline infectious peritonitis Diagnosis. In Wang, L., editor, Animal Coronaviruses., Springer Protocols Handbooks, pages 161–172, New York, USA. Humana Press.
Tasker, S. 2018. Diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis: Update on evidence supporting available tests. J Feline Med Surg, 20(3), 228–243.
Tekes, G. & Thiel, H.J. 2016. Feline coronaviruses: Pathogenesis of feline infectious peritonitis. Adv Virus Res, 96, 193–218.