Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Deadly feline parvovirus outbreak in adult cats living together
By Maria Irene Pacini et al.·Published in Pathogens·2023·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Feline Parvovirus Lethal Outbreak in a Group of Adult Cohabiting Domestic Cats
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 12 unvaccinated domestic cats experienced a sudden outbreak of feline panleukopenia, a highly contagious and often deadly virus. Within a short time, 3 of the cats showed severe symptoms and sadly died. The outbreak was marked by rapid illness and a high death rate, but after implementing strict biosecurity measures and vaccinating the remaining cats, the spread of the virus was effectively stopped. This case highlights the importance of vaccination and prompt action in preventing serious outbreaks of feline panleukopenia.
People also search for: cat parvovirus symptoms · unvaccinated cat outbreak · feline panleukopenia prevention · cat vaccination importance
Abstract
Feline panleukopenia is a highly contagious and often fatal disease in cats. The virus, known as feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), primarily affects kittens and unvaccinated cats. It is transmitted through contact with infected cats or their bodily fluids, as well as contaminated objects and environments. The diagnosis of FPV infection can be confirmed through a combination of clinical signs, blood tests, and fecal testing. Prevention through vaccination is recommended for all cats. This case report describes an outbreak of feline panleukopenia in a group of unvaccinated domestic cats that resulted in acute mortality. The lesions were evaluated using histopathology, and the specific viral strain was characterized using molecular techniques. The clinical course of the outbreak was peracute, with a hemorrhagic pattern and 100% of lethality. The observed clinical-pathological pattern was unusual; nevertheless, molecular studies did not highlight peculiar genomic features of the parvovirus isolate. The outbreak affected 3 out of 12 cats in a very short time. However, the prompt application of biosecurity measures and vaccination resulted in an effective interruption of virus spread. In conclusion, we could assume that the virus found the ideal conditions to infect and replicate at high titers, resulting in a particularly aggressive outbreak.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/37375512