Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Neuronal vacuoles found in 2-month-old cat with panleukopenia virus
By Pfankuche, Vanessa M et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2018·1 Department of Pathology, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Neuronal Vacuolization in Feline Panleukopenia Virus Infection.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-month-old female kitten died after showing signs of neurological problems, including difficulty walking (ataxia). A necropsy revealed that the kitten had feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), which is known for causing vomiting and diarrhea but can also affect the nervous system. The examination found unusual vacuoles in the kitten's spinal cord neurons, indicating that the virus had spread to the brain. This case suggests that FPV can lead to serious neurological issues in young cats, and it's important for pet owners to be aware of these potential complications.
People also search for: kitten neurological problems · feline panleukopenia symptoms · ataxia in cats treatment
Abstract
Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) infections are typically associated with anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, neutropenia, and lymphopenia. In cases of late prenatal or early neonatal infections, cerebellar hypoplasia is reported in kittens. In addition, single cases of encephalitis are described. FPV replication was recently identified in neurons, although it is mainly found in cells with high mitotic activity. A female cat, 2 months old, was submitted to necropsy after it died with neurologic deficits. Besides typical FPV intestinal tract changes, multifocal, randomly distributed intracytoplasmic vacuoles within neurons of the thoracic spinal cord were found histologically. Next-generation sequencing identified FPV-specific sequences within the central nervous system. FPV antigen was detected within central nervous system cells, including the vacuolated neurons, via immunohistochemistry. In situ hybridization confirmed the presence of FPV DNA within the vacuolated neurons. Thus, FPV should be considered a cause for neuronal vacuolization in cats presenting with ataxia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29157191/