Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Felid herpesvirus causes severe pneumonia in kittens and cats
By Chvala-Mannsberger, S et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2009·Department of Pathobiology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Occurrence, morphological characterization and antigen localization of felid herpesvirus-induced pneumonia in cats: a retrospective study (2000-2006).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of nine cats, including five kittens, two young cats, and two adults, developed pneumonia caused by felid herpesvirus-1 (FeHV-1). Symptoms included severe respiratory distress, and tests showed significant lung damage and viral presence in lung cells. The youngest kitten even had the virus detected in its liver. Recognizing FeHV-1 as a possible cause of pneumonia in cats is important, and using specific tests can help confirm the diagnosis. Treatment details were not provided, but early identification is crucial for managing this viral infection.
People also search for: cat pneumonia symptoms · kitten respiratory infection treatment · felid herpesvirus in cats
Abstract
The pathological findings in nine cases of pneumonia associated with infection by felid herpesvirus-1 (FeHV-1) are presented. The animals affected were five kittens, two subadult cats and two adult cats. The microscopical changes included fibrinonecrotic pneumonia and severe necrosis of the bronchial and bronchiolar epithelium. FeHV-1 antigen was detected immunohistochemically in pneumocytes, alveolar macrophages and necrotic bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cells. In the youngest kitten viral antigen was also found in the liver. FeHV-1 infection should therefore be considered as a differential diagnosis in cats with fibrinonecrotic pneumonia and demonstration of viral antigen by immunohistochemistry is a useful diagnostic procedure in such cases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19540511/