Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline bocavirus linked to bloody diarrhea outbreaks in cats
By Piewbang, Chutchai et al.·Published in Scientific reports·2019·Department of Pathology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline bocavirus-1 associated with outbreaks of hemorrhagic enteritis in household cats: potential first evidence of a pathological role, viral tropism and natural genetic recombination.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of household cats in Thailand developed severe diarrhea and bleeding due to a condition called hemorrhagic enteritis, which was linked to a virus called feline bocavirus-1 (FBoV-1). Tests showed that this virus was present in various tissues, indicating it could spread through the bloodstream. Researchers found different strains of FBoV-1, suggesting it might be evolving. While the exact role of FBoV-1 in these infections is still unclear, it may worsen the effects of another virus, feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV). Understanding this could help veterinarians better manage these serious cases in cats.
People also search for: cat diarrhea bleeding · feline bocavirus symptoms · hemorrhagic enteritis in cats · feline panleukopenia treatment · cat virus outbreak
Abstract
Feline bocavirus-1 (FBoV-1) was identified in cats from different households with hemorrhagic enteritis during outbreaks of an unusual clinical presentation of feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) in Thailand. Use of polymerase chain reaction revealed the presence of the FBoV-1 DNA in several tissues, suggesting hematogenous viremia, with the viral nucleic acid, detected by in situ hybridization (ISH), was localized in intestinal cells and vascular endothelium of intestinal mucosa and serosa, and in necrosis areas primarily in various lymph nodes while FPLV-immunohistochemical analysis revealed viral localization only in cryptal cells, neurons, and limited to leukocytes in the mesenteric lymph node. Full-length coding genome analysis of the Thai FBoV-1 strains isolated from moribund cats revealed three distinct strains with a high between-strain genetic diversity, while genetic recombination in one of the three FBoV-1 strains within the NS1 gene. This is the first report identifying natural genetic recombination of the FBoV-1 and describing the pathology and viral tropism of FBoV-1 infection in cats. Although the role of FBoV-1 associated with systemic infection of these cats remained undetermined, a contributory role of enteric infection of FBoV-1 is possible. Synergistic effects of dual infection with FPLV and FBoV-1 are hypothesized, suggesting more likely severe clinical presentations.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31705016/