Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Upper respiratory infections in Australian cats - causes and data
By Nguyen, Dalton et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2019·Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline upper respiratory tract infection and disease in Australia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that many young cats in Australia were diagnosed with upper respiratory infections, often caused by viruses like feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus. Out of over 3,000 cats tested, nearly half were positive for these infections, with most cases occurring in cats under a year old. The infections were more common in unneutered male cats and during the winter months. Fortunately, about 72% of the affected cats recovered with appropriate care. If your cat shows signs of sneezing, coughing, or nasal discharge, it’s important to consult your veterinarian for advice on treatment and prevention.
People also search for: cat upper respiratory infection symptoms · feline herpesvirus treatment · how to prevent cat calicivirus
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of feline infectious upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and disease (URTD) in Australian cats. METHODS: Laboratory data demonstrating URTI from feline URTD multiplex PCR panel (feline herpesvirus 1 [FHV-1], feline calicivirus [FCV],and H1N1 influenza) submissions in Australia (2013-2015) were obtained. For comparison, reports of feline URTD during the same time period were sourced from a voluntary companion animal disease surveillance system. RESULTS: A total of 3126 samples were submitted for testing; 1533 (49%) were positive. Of these, the most commonly detected agents were(21.5%) and FCV (16.0%) alone, followed by FCV and(13.4%) together as a respiratory infection complex, then FHV-1 (7.0%) alone. During the study period, there were 262 reports of 320 clinical feline URTD cases. Most cases (69%) were reported from New South Wales, <1 year of age (41%) and equally distributed between the sexes. Infection was more common in entire cats (69%) and most cases (55%) involved domestic shorthair cats. Of the 90 reports that had a known vaccination status, 63 had a vaccination history, 40 of which were recently vaccinated. Most (72%) feline URTD cases recovered from clinical disease. Both feline URTI and URTD were more common during winter months. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Feline URTI and URTD cause substantial impact in Australia, being most commonly associated withand FCV infection. This information can be used by veterinarians to educate clients about prevention and management of this important infectious disease of cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30465616/