Stopping Feline Coronavirus Shedding Prevented Feline Infectious Peritonitis.

After an incubation period of weeks to months, up to 14% of cats infected with feline coronavirus (FCoV) develop feline infectious peritonitis (FIP): a potentially lethal pyogranulomatous perivasculitis. The aim of this study was to find out if stopping FCoV faecal shedding with antivirals prevents FIP. Guardians of cats from which FCoV had been eliminated at least 6 months earlier were contacted to find out the outcome of their cats; 27 households were identified containing 147 cats. Thirteen cats were treated for FIP, 109 cats shed FCoV and 25 did not; a 4-7-day course of oral GS-441524 antiviral stopped faecal FCoV shedding. Follow-up was from 6 months to 3.5 years; 11 of 147 cats died, but none developed FIP. A previous field study of 820 FCoV-exposed cats was used as a retrospective control group; 37 of 820 cats developed FIP. The difference was statistically highly significant (p = 0.0062). Cats from eight households recovered from chronic FCoV enteropathy. Conclusions: the early treatment of FCoV-infected cats with oral antivirals prevented FIP. Nevertheless, should FCoV be re-introduced into a household, then FIP can result. Further work is required to establish the role of FCoV in the aetiology of feline inflammatory bowel disease.

Rapid Resolution of Non-Effusive Feline Infectious Peritonitis Uveitis with an Oral Adenosine Nucleoside Analogue and Feline Interferon Omega.

This is the first report of a successful treatment of a non-effusive feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) uveitis case using an oral adenosine nucleoside analogue drug and feline interferon omega, and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) as an indicator of recovery. A 2-year-old male neutered Norwegian Forest Cat presented with uveitis, keratic precipitates, mesenteric lymphadenopathy and weight loss. The cat was hypergammaglobulinaemic and had a non-regenerative anaemia. Feline coronavirus (FCoV) RNA was detected in a mesenteric lymph node fine-needle aspirate by a reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction-non-effusive FIP was diagnosed. Prednisolone acetate eye drops were administered three times daily for 2 weeks. Oral adenosine nucleoside analogue (Mutian) treatment started. Within 50 days of Mutian treatment, the cat had gained over one kilogram in weight, his globulin level reduced from 77 to 51 g/L and his haematocrit increased from 22 to 35%; his uveitis resolved and his sight improved. Serum AGP level reduced from 3100 to 400 µg/mL (within normal limits). Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) was above normal at 28 µg/dL, reducing to 14 µg/dL on the cessation of treatment; whether the SDMA increase was due to FIP lesions in the kidney or Mutian is unknown. Mutian treatment stopped and low-dose oral recombinant feline interferon omega begun-the cat's recovery continued.