Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How to detect protective antibodies to feline herpesvirus in cats
By Yang, Jia et al.·Published in Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases·2025·Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, China·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of neutralizing antibody to Feline herpesvirus type 1 in cat serum.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 89 domestic cats was tested for antibodies against Feline Herpesvirus-1, which can cause serious respiratory and eye problems. The study found that most unvaccinated cats had antibodies, while many vaccinated cats did not, showing that not all cats respond the same way to the vaccine. Younger cats, especially those between 3 to 12 months old, were more likely to have better immune responses. This highlights the importance of vaccination and suggests that different vaccine types might be needed to protect all cats effectively.
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Abstract
Feline Herpesvirus-1 is a major pathogen that causes feline viral rhinotracheitis, pneumonia, and ocular diseases. This virus is transmitted through direct or indirect contact with secretions from infected cats. Approximately 80 % of infected cats establish lifelong latent infections, making FHV-1 a persistent and significant threat to feline health. Current control strategies mainly rely on antiviral medications and vaccines to mitigate disease severity and reduce viral transmission. However, the extent to which individual cats can develop protective immunity following FHV-1 infection or vaccination remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, a double-reporter FHV-1 was employed to detect neutralizing antibody titers in serum samples collected from 89 domestic cats. The results revealed that 93.75 % of unvaccinated cats exhibited a positive FHV-1-neutralizing antibody, whereas 82.19 % of the cats in the vaccinated group lacked detectable neutralizing antibodies, indicating individual variation in immune responses. Subsequent correlation analyses within the vaccinated group demonstrated that cats aged 3-12 months and aged ≥ 12 months were 11.32-fold and 9.22-fold more likely to exhibit viral suppression compared to those aged ≤ 3 months, respectively. These findings suggest that FHV-1 has a high natural infection rate, and vaccination can enhance the levels of neutralizing antibodies, although vaccine effectiveness varies among individuals. Therefore, the development of diverse vaccine formulations and the implementation of routine serological screening are crucial for disease control.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41326258/