Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline interferon omega pretreatment effects on cat herpesvirus
By Haid, Clemens et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2007·Department of Small Animals·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pretreatment with feline interferon omega and the course of subsequent infection with feline herpesvirus in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats was treated with a medication called recombinant feline interferon omega (rFeIFN-omega) to see if it could help reduce symptoms during a herpesvirus infection. Five cats received this treatment for two days before being infected with the virus, while four cats did not receive any treatment. Unfortunately, the results showed that the interferon treatment did not significantly improve the cats' clinical signs or reduce the amount of virus present compared to the untreated group. Overall, the study found that rFeIFN-omega did not provide any benefits in managing the herpesvirus infection in these cats.
People also search for: cat herpesvirus treatment · feline interferon omega effectiveness · symptoms of cat herpesvirus
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Recombinant feline interferon omega (rFeIFN-omega), a type I IFN, may have the potential to limit virus replication and associated clinical signs when administered early on in the course of feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) infection and reactivation, respectively. The effect of rFeIFN-omega pretreatment on the course of subsequent FHV-1 infection in cats was investigated. ANIMALS STUDIED: Nine SPF cats were divided into an IFN group (n = 5) and a control-group (n = 4). PROCEDURES: The IFN group was pretreated for 2 days with 10 000 units rFeIFN-omega twice a day topically into both eyes and 20 000 units rFeIFN-omega once a day orally, whereas the control group was mock-treated. Subsequently all cats were infected with FHV-1. Samples for FHV-1 DNA detection and quantitation, virus isolation, and titration of FHV-1 antibodies were collected. Clinical and ocular signs were recorded and scored. RESULTS: Courses of median individual clinical and ocular scores and virus load did not differ significantly between both groups using anova for repeated measurements. Analysis (anova) of each individual ocular parameter revealed significantly high scores for epithelial keratitis (P = 0.016) in the IFN group compared to the control group. Periods of virus shedding did not differ significantly between both groups using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated a lack of beneficial effects of rFeIFN-omega pretreatment in the course of primary FHV-1 infection in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17760705/