Effects of famciclovir in cats with spontaneous acute upper respiratory tract disease.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of famciclovir administration in cats with spontaneously acquired acute upper respiratory tract disease. METHODS: Twenty-four kittens with clinical signs of acute upper respiratory tract disease were randomly allocated to receive doxycycline (5 mg/kg PO q12h) alone (group D; n = 12) or with famciclovir (90 mg/kg PO q12h; group DF; n = 12) for up to 3 weeks. Clinical disease severity was scored at study entry and daily thereafter. Oculo-oropharyngeal swabs collected at study entry and exit were assessed using quantitative PCR for nucleic acids of feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV),and. RESULTS: The median (range) age of cats was 1.5 (1-6) months in group D vs 1.6 (1-5) months in group DF (= 0.54). Pathogens detected in oculo-oropharyngeal swabs at study entry included FCV (n = 13/24; 54%),(n = 8/24; 33%), FHV-1 (n = 7/24; 29),(n = 7/24; 29%) and(n = 3/24; 12%). Median (range) duration of clinical signs was 11.5 (3-21) days in group DF and 11 (3-21) days in group D (= 0.75). Median (range) total disease score at the end of the study did not differ between groups (group D 1 [1-1] vs group DF 1 [1-3];= 0.08). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study revealed no significant difference in response to therapy between cats treated with doxycycline alone or with famciclovir; cats improved rapidly in both groups. However, identification of FHV-1 DNA was relatively uncommon in this study and clinical trials focused on FHV-1-infected cats are warranted to better evaluate famciclovir efficacy.