Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Passive antibody treatment tested for cats with viral upper
By Friedl, Yvonne et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2014·Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Efficacy of passively transferred antibodies in cats with acute viral upper respiratory tract infection.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with upper respiratory infections caused by viruses like feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus were treated with a special serum containing antibodies. This serum was given for three days, while another group received a placebo. The cats that received the serum showed faster improvement in their symptoms and overall health compared to those that only got the placebo. By day 3, the treated cats were feeling better, while the placebo group only started to improve by day 7. Both groups eventually showed similar recovery, but the serum helped speed up the healing process.
People also search for: cat upper respiratory infection treatment · feline calicivirus symptoms · hyperimmune serum for cats
Abstract
A commercial hyperimmune serum, containing antibodies against feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), and feline panleukopenia virus, is available for treatment of cats with feline upper respiratory tract disease (FURTD), but its efficacy has not been rigorously evaluated in scientific studies. The aim of this randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy of passive immunisation in cats with acute viral FURTD caused by FCV and/or FHV-1 infection. All cats received symptomatic treatment during the study period. Hyperimmune serum was administered to one group (n = 22) and an equivalent amount of saline was administered to the control group (n = 20) as placebo, for 3 consecutive days. In the treatment group, cats ≤12 weeks old received 2 mL, cats >12 weeks old received 4 mL, subcutaneously once daily and topically into eyes, nostrils, and mouth every 8 h. Clinical signs, including a 'FURTD score' and general health status, were recorded daily for 8 days and again on day 21. FCV shedding was determined by quantitative PCR on days 0 and 21. Clinical signs and health status in both groups improved significantly over time (P < 0.001). Cats receiving hyperimmune serum significantly improved in terms of 'FURTD score' (P = 0.046) and general health status (P = 0.032) by day 3, while cats in the placebo group only improved significantly by day 7. There was no significant difference in the number of cats shedding FCV between the two groups. Thus, administration of hyperimmune serum led to a more rapid improvement of clinical signs in cats with acute viral FURTD, but by day 7, clinical signs had improved equally in both groups.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24929533/