Frontal sinusitis and empyema can also result.įHV-1 also has a predilection for corneal epithelium, resulting in corneal ulcers, often pinpoint or dendritic in shape. These usually resolve within four to seven days, but secondary bacterial infections can cause the persistence of clinical signs for weeks. Initial signs of FVR include coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, and sometimes fever (up to 106) and loss of appetite. Most disinfectants, antiseptics and detergents are effective against the virus. Stress and use of corticosteroids precipitate shedding. Latently infected cats (carriers) will shed FHV-1 intermittently for life, with the virus persisting within the trigeminal ganglion. The virus is shed for one to three weeks postinfection. FVR has a two- to five-day incubation period. The virus is shed in saliva and eye and nasal secretions, and can also be spread by fomites. Viremia (the presence of the virus in the blood) is rare. It replicates in the nasal and nasopharyngeal tissues and the tonsils. Transmission įVR is transmitted through direct contact only. History įHV-1 was first isolated from cats in 1958 in the United States. All members of the family Felidae are susceptible to FVR in fact, FHV-1 has caused a fatal encephalitis in lions in Germany. It may cause flat-chested kitten syndrome, but most evidence for this is anecdotal. The other important cause of feline respiratory disease is feline calicivirus.įVR is very contagious and can cause severe disease, including death from pneumonia in young kittens. Causing one-half of the respiratory diseases in cats, FVR is the most important of these diseases and is found worldwide. Viral respiratory diseases in cats can be serious, especially in catteries and kennels. It is also commonly referred to as feline influenza, feline coryza, and feline pneumonia but, as these terms describe other very distinct collections of respiratory symptoms, they are misnomers for the condition. Feline viral rhinotracheitis ( FVR) is an upper respiratory or pulmonary infection of cats caused by Felid alphaherpesvirus 1 (FeHV-1), of the family Herpesviridae.
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