Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Best places to test cats for herpesvirus, calicivirus, and Chlamydia
By Schulz, Catharina et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2015·Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Sampling sites for detection of feline herpesvirus-1, feline calicivirus and Chlamydia felis in cats with feline upper respiratory tract disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 104 cats with upper respiratory symptoms, like sneezing and nasal discharge, were tested for feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV), and Chlamydia felis. The tests showed that nearly 90% of the cats had one or more of these infections, with FHV-1 and FCV being the most common. Researchers found that taking samples from the throat and tongue was more effective for detecting FCV compared to other areas. For the best results, it's recommended to take samples from multiple sites, as this increases the chances of identifying the specific virus or bacteria causing the illness.
People also search for: cat upper respiratory infection treatment · feline herpesvirus symptoms · how to treat calicivirus in cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV) and Chlamydia felis are involved in feline upper respiratory tract disease (FURTD). Clinical signs caused by these agents can overlap, and the involvement of certain pathogens is often unpredictable. The objectives of this study were to compare detection rates of FHV-1, FCV and C felis at different sampling sites, and to investigate the correlation between positive test results and clinical signs in cats with FURTD. METHODS: Swabs were taken from the nose, pharynx, tongue and conjunctiva of 104 cats with signs of FURTD. Real-time PCR was performed on all samples for the detection of FHV-1, FCV and C felis. RESULTS: Infectious agents were identified in 93 (89.4%) cats. Of these, 55.8% were positive for FHV-1, 50.0% for FCV and 35.6% for C felis. FCV was found more frequently in the oropharynx (92.3% of FCV-positive cats) and on the tongue (90.4%) than the conjunctiva (38.5%) (P <0.001). There was no significant difference between the four sampling sites for the detection of FHV-1 and C felis. If nasal samples had also been taken, 94.9% of FHV-1-positive cats, 96.2% of FCV-positive cats and 81.1% of C felis-positive cats would have been detected. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The oropharynx can be recommended as the preferred single sampling site for the detection of FCV, FHV-1 and C felis if only one sample can be taken; however, taking samples at different sites significantly increases the detection rate for all pathogens studied. Interestingly, sampling from a site with FURTD-associated lesions did not increase the likelihood of detecting the infectious agents.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25660223/