Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Can cats catch equine morbillivirus from other cats?
By Westbury, H A et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·1996·CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Susceptibility of cats to equine morbillivirus.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A study was conducted to see if cats can get sick from equine morbillivirus (EMV), a virus usually affecting horses. Researchers tested ten cats by giving them the virus in different ways, such as through injections, nasal administration, or orally, and they also looked at cats that had been near infected ones. All the cats that received the virus directly became sick within 4 to 8 days, and one of two cats that were in contact with infected cats also got the disease, while two others did not. The virus was found in various tissues of the sick cats, and the symptoms they showed were similar to those seen in infected horses. This study confirms that cats can catch EMV from other animals and that the disease looks similar in both species.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the susceptibility of cats to equine morbillivirus (EMV) by direct administration of the virus by subcutaneous, intra-nasal or oral routes, and following exposure to infected cats. DESIGN: A disease transmission study, with controls, using ten cats. PROCEDURE: Groups of cats were given the virus by the designated methods and assessed for evidence of infection by clinical examination, plus pathological and virological tests. RESULTS: All cats administered the virus by subcutaneous, intra-nasal or oral routes became infected and developed the disease within 4 to 8 days. One of two cats in contact with affected cats also developed the disease, but two cats kept near to affected cats did not become infected. The virus was isolated from a range of tissues collected from the infected cats, and the lesions observed in affected cats were similar to those previously observed in horses naturally and experimentally infected with the virus. CONCLUSION: This is the first demonstration that animals can be infected with EMV by non-parenteral means, that the virus can transmit naturally between animals and confirms other reports of the similarity of EMV disease in horses and cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8894019/