Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline herpesvirus-1 found in normal cat corneas
By Stiles, Jean & Pogranichniy, Roman·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2008·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of virulent feline herpesvirus-1 in the corneas of clinically normal cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that some cats with healthy-looking eyes can still carry the virulent feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) without showing any symptoms. Researchers tested the corneas of 31 cats, including 25 with normal eyes, and discovered that five of these cats had FHV-1 present. Interestingly, the virus was not found in cats that had eye problems or scarring. This suggests that even if a cat appears healthy, it could still be a carrier of this virus, which might be influenced by the presence of dexamethasone, a medication that can affect viral spread.
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Abstract
To evaluate the clinically normal feline cornea for the presence of virulent feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), corneas from 31 cats (25 with normal eyes and six with active disease or corneal scarring) euthanased at a shelter were collected. Corneas from two specific pathogen-free cats were included as negative controls. Virus isolation (VI), fluorescent antibody (FA) staining and real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) were performed on all samples. The presence or absence of dexamethasone in the media was evaluated for its effect on VI. VI was positive for FHV-1 in six corneas from five cats, all with clinically normal eyes. One cornea was positive for feline calicivirus (FCV) in addition to FHV-1, but only in media that included dexamethasone. Eight corneas were positive on rt-PCR for FHV-1, all from cats with clinically normal eyes. All positive VI samples were confirmed with FA staining. VI and rt-PCR were negative for FHV-1 and FCV in cats with active disease or corneal scarring. Data from this study indicate that virulent FHV-1 and FCV can be present in feline corneas that are clinically normal. Dexamethasone may enhance viral spread through a cell receptor mechanism.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18155950/