Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Brain inflammation and nerve cell death linked to parvovirus in cats
By Kokosinska, Anna et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2019·1 Department of Pathology and Athens Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lymphoplasmacytic Meningoencephalitis and Neuronal Necrosis Associated With Parvoviral Infection in Cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Two cats were found to have serious brain issues after showing signs of ataxia (loss of coordination) and nystagmus (rapid eye movement). Upon examination, they had inflammation and damage in their brains linked to a parvovirus infection, which is more commonly known for causing gastrointestinal problems in cats. Tests confirmed the presence of the virus in their brain tissue. Unfortunately, both cats did not survive, highlighting that while rare, parvovirus can lead to severe neurological symptoms in cats.
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Abstract
Neurologic manifestations other than cerebellar hypoplasia are rarely associated with feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) infection in cats. Here the authors describe lymphoplasmacytic meningoencephalitis and neuronal necrosis in 2 cats autopsied after exhibiting ataxia and nystagmus. Gross changes consisted of cerebellar herniation through the foramen magnum, with flattening of cerebrocortical gyri and narrowing of sulci. Histologically, lymphoplasmacytic meningoencephalitis, extensive neuronal necrosis, and neuroaxonal degeneration with digestion chambers were present in the telencephalon and brain stem in both cats. Frozen brain tissue of both cats was positive for parvoviral antigen via fluorescent antibody testing, and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of brain were immunoreactive for parvovirus antigen and positive for parvoviral DNA on in situ hybridization. Frozen brain tissue from 1 case was positive for parvovirus NS1 and VP2 genes using conventional polymerase chain reaction, and subsequent DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the viral strain was a FPV. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissue revealed high levels of parvovirus in both cases, supporting an acute and active viral infection. Although rare, FPV infection should be considered in cases of lymphoplasmacytic meningoencephalitis and neuronal necrosis in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30917745/