ABCD cats & vets https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/ Resources for cat vets Tue, 31 Jan 2023 21:04:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ABCD_logo_favicon.svg ABCD cats & vets https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/ 32 32 Apply now for the Young scientist award https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/apply-now-for-the-young-scientist-award/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 11:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=6009 Applications for the 2023 ABCD & Boehringer Ingelheim Young Scientist Award are now open. This award aims to reward innovative and outstanding work by promising young professionals in the field of feline infectious diseases and/or immunology.

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Apply now for the Young scientist award

Published: 26/01/2023

Young scientist award announcement 2023

Applications for the 2023 ABCD & Boehringer Ingelheim Young Scientist Award are now open. This award aims to reward innovative and outstanding work by promising young professionals in the field of feline infectious diseases and/or immunology. For the rules and application form see this page.

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Young scientist award announcement 2023
Prof Sandor receives dhc

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Ultrafiltration of FCoV https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/ultrafiltration-of-fcov/ Sun, 18 Dec 2022 10:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2733 Published: [sc_post_date]
Virologists are always looking for increased infectious titres for research purposes.

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Ultrafiltration of FCoV

Published: 18/12/2022

Virologists are always looking for increased infectious titres for research purposes. In this paper, ABCDs Uwe Truyen and colleagues propose a user-friendly ultrafiltration process to concentrate infectious titres of FCoV, the causal agent of FIP.

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SARS-CoV-2 transmission between people and pets https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/sars-cov-2-transmission-between-people-and-pets/ Wed, 26 Oct 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2712 Published: [sc_post_date]

If both pets and people from the same households are SARS-CoV-2 positive, it's likely due to an owner-to-animal transmission. This and other findings were reported in a recent large-scale prevalence study in the Netherlands, co-authored by ABCD's Herman Egberink.

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SARS-CoV-2 transmission between people and pets

Published: 26/10/2022

If both pets and people from the same households are SARS-CoV-2 positive, it’s likely due to an owner-to-animal transmission. This and other findings were reported in a recent large-scale prevalence study in the Netherlands, co-authored by ABCD’s Herman Egberink. Find out more about SARS-CoV-2 in cats here.

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Vaccination of Immunocompromised cats https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/vaccination-of-immunocompromised-cats/ Mon, 24 Oct 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2718 Received: 30 March 2022 / Revised: 25 April 2022 / Accepted: 26 April 2022 / Published: 28 April 2022

Vaccinating immunocompromised cats: can you? should you? and if yes, when?

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Vaccination of Immunocompromised cats

Received: 30 March 2022 / Revised: 25 April 2022 / Accepted: 26 April 2022 / Published: 28 April 2022

Vaccinating immunocompromised cats: can you? should you? and if yes, when? Find out more in this paper published by the ABCD in Viruses or on our website, where it’s been summarised in a factsheet.

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Postmortem findings in kitten cured of FIP https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/postmortem-findings-in-kitten-cured-of-fip/ Wed, 19 Oct 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2724 Received: 8 October 2021 / Revised: 28 October 2021 / Accepted: 1 November 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021
Remember the German study on the efficacy of GS-441524 in cats with FIP, co-authored by ABCD's Katrin Hartmann and Regina Hofmann-Lehmann?

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Postmortem findings in kitten cured of FIP

Received: 8 October 2021 / Revised: 28 October 2021 / Accepted: 1 November 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021

Remember the German study on the efficacy of GS-441524 in cats with FIP, co-authored by ABCD’s Katrin Hartmann and Regina Hofmann-Lehmann? One cat in the study sadly died following a road traffic accident 8 months after leaving the clinic healthy. This paper describes the kitten’s post-mortem findings.

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Hans Lutz member of the Academia Europaea https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/hans-lutz-member-of-the-academia-europaea/ Mon, 17 Oct 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2737 Published: [sc_post_date]

Hans Lutz, member of the ABCD and professor emeritus of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (VetSuisse Zurich), was admitted to the Academia Europaea this year due to his scientific publications.

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Hans Lutz member of the Academia Europaea

Published: 17/10/2022

Hans Lutz, member of the ABCD and professor emeritus of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics (VetSuisse Zurich), was admitted to the Academia Europaea this year due to his scientific publications. Congratulations!

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Young scientist award announcement 2023
Prof Sandor receives dhc

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Global handwashing day https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/global-handwashing-day/ Sat, 15 Oct 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2741 Published: [sc_post_date]

Today is global hand washing day! A simple and effective way to keep diseases at bay - and this is particularly true for barrier care in cat shelters.

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Global handwashing day

Published: 15/10/2022

Today is global hand washing day! A simple and effective way to keep diseases at bay – and this is particularly true for barrier care in cat shelters. Read more in the ABCD guidelines on the management of infectious diseases in cat shelters.

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Monitoring FIP treatment efficacy https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/monitoring-fip-treatment-efficacy/ Mon, 10 Oct 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2703 Published: [sc_post_date]

Several treatments are now being used against FIP. But how do you know if a cat is recovering? Monitoring acute phase proteins might be of interest, according to ABCD's Diane Addie and colleagues.

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Monitoring FIP treatment efficacy

Published: 10/10/2022

AGP per months

Several treatments are now being used against FIP. But how do you know if a cat is recovering? Monitoring acute phase proteins might be of interest, according to ABCD’s Diane Addie and colleagues. For more on FIP, check out our guidelines.

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Vaccination and Antibody Testing in Cats https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/vaccination-and-antibody-testing-in-cats/ Fri, 22 Jul 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=4091 Received: 9 June 2022 / Accepted: 19 July 2022 / Published: 22 July 2022
Abstract
Vaccines protect cats from serious diseases by inducing antibodies and cellular immune responses.

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Vaccination and Antibody Testing in Cats

Viruses 2022, 14(8), 1602; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14081602

Received: 9 June 2022 / Accepted: 19 July 2022 / Published: 22 July 2022

Vaccines protect cats from serious diseases by inducing antibodies and cellular immune responses…

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Viruses: all you want to know about FCV https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/viruses-all-you-want-to-know-about-fcv/ Fri, 22 Jul 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2765 Received: 30 March 2022 / Revised: 24 April 2022 / Accepted: 25 April 2022 / Published: 29 April 2022

Epidemiologiy, diagnosis, treatment: all the latest updates about feline calicivirus can be found in the recent open-access paper by the ABCD published in Viruses!

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Viruses: all you want to know about FCV


Received: 30 March 2022 / Revised: 24 April 2022 / Accepted: 25 April 2022 / Published: 29 April 2022

Epidemiologiy, diagnosis, treatment: all the latest updates about feline calicivirus can be found in the recent open-access paper by the ABCD published in Viruses! Read more on this topic.

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New: Good vaccination practices https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/new-good-vaccination-practices/ Wed, 15 Jun 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2774 Published: [sc_post_date]

What should be discussed during the pre-vaccination interview? Can you change brands during a vaccination schedule? Can hyperimmune sera be administered at the time of vaccination?

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New: Good vaccination practices

Published: 15/06/2022

What should be discussed during the pre-vaccination interview? Can you change brands during a vaccination schedule? Can hyperimmune sera be administered at the time of vaccination? These and other topics are discussed in the latest ABCD guidelines on Good Vaccination Practices.
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Updated: FIP guidelines https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/updated-fip-guidelines/ Mon, 06 Jun 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2777 Published: [sc_post_date]

So much has happened in recent months regarding the diagnosis and treatment of feline infectious peritonitis that it was time for a complete overhaul of the ABCD FIP guidelines! Read them here with the latest on treatment and diagnostics.

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Updated: FIP guidelines

Published: 06/06/2022

So much has happened in recent months regarding the diagnosis and treatment of feline infectious peritonitis that it was time for a complete overhaul of the ABCD FIP guidelines! Read them here with the latest on treatment and diagnostics. We’ve also created a special tool to aid with diagnosis.
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Published in Viruses: FCV infection in cats https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/published-in-viruses-fcv-infection-in-cats/ Sun, 05 Jun 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2781 What is the best diagnostic test for FCV? Will changing the vaccine strain provide better protection?

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Published in Viruses: FCV infection in cats

What is the best diagnostic test for FCV? Will changing the vaccine strain provide better protection? These and other questions are addressed in the
recently updated ABCD guideline on FCV, now published as an open-access paper in Viruses!
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FIP: the impact of treatment with GS-441524 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/fip-the-impact-of-treatment-with-gs-441524/ Wed, 01 Jun 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2786 Received: 29 March 2022 / Revised: 8 May 2022 / Accepted: 13 May 2022 / Published: 17 May 2022
Do FIP-cats treated with GS-441524 stop shedding FCoV? ABCD's Regina Hofmann-Lehmann and Katrin Hartmann were involved in a study to find out. Shedding decreases — but can reoccur.

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FIP: the impact of treatment with GS-441524

Received: 29 March 2022 / Revised: 8 May 2022 / Accepted: 13 May 2022 / Published: 17 May 2022
Do FIP-cats treated with GS-441524 stop shedding FCoV? ABCD’s Regina Hofmann-Lehmann and Katrin Hartmann were involved in a study to find out. Shedding decreases — but can reoccur. The
open-access paper appeared in Viruses (Special issue Viral Infections in Companion Animals)

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Updated: FPV guidelines https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/updated-fpv-guidelines/ Mon, 30 May 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=2790 Published: [sc_post_date]

Updated! The ABCD guideline on feline panleukopenia virus in cats. The guidelines present the latest on the evolution of the virus and updates on treatment.

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Updated: FPV guidelines

Published: 30/05/2022

Updated! The ABCD guideline on feline panleukopenia virus in cats. The guidelines present the latest on the evolution of the virus and updates on treatment. Find out more in the ABCD guidelines on FPV and how the virus relates to canine parvovirus.
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2022 Young Scientist Award Winner Andrea Spiri https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/2022-young-scientist-award-winner-andrea-spiri/ Fri, 27 May 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=1268 The 2022 ABCD Young Scientist Award, funded by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health goes to Dr Andrea Spiri (33), of the Zurich University Department of Clinical Diagnostics.
Congrats to Andrea Spiri (University of Zurich), this year's laureate of the ABCD & Boehringer Ingelheim Young Scientist 2022 award!

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2022 Young Scientist Award Winner Andrea Spiri

The 2022 ABCD Young Scientist Award, funded by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health goes to Dr Andrea Spiri (33), of the Zurich University Department of Clinical Diagnostics.

Congrats to Andrea Spiri (University of Zurich), this year’s laureate of the ABCD & Boehringer Ingelheim Young Scientist 2022 award! Andrea’s work focused on the host immune response following vaccination against feline calicivirus and challenge. Andrea accepted her award in person at the ISFM congress in Rhodes in June.

Andrea Spiri: Feline Calicivirus Shedding And Vaccine Immunity

Andrea’s study looks at the vaccine immunity and environmental contamination in feline calicivirus infection. ‘Anti-FCV antibodies do not fully depict the immune status of the cat, and the heterologous cellular immune response after FCV F9 vaccination should be taken into account, explains Andrea Spiri.

Her study also investigated the environmental contamination with FCV after experimental infection due to shedding. ‘FCV RNA was found on all items tested in the environment of the cats – for a long period of time – including in the ventilation filter, suggesting the possibility of viral transmission by aerosol’.

Dr Karin Moestl, vice president of the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) congratulated the laureate, commenting: ‘Andrea has performed an extensive study using a broad range of methods, which have led to new insights into various aspects of FCV infection and immunity, with practical relevance.’

Cat-Friendly Sample Collection

Dr Regina Hofmann-Lehmann, ABCD member and supervisor of Andrea’s PhD thesis, added that she had integrated refinement (3R) measures during all her experimental cat studies. ‘Andrea trained all her study cats with positive reinforcement for blood and sample collection, so that all collections could be conducted without anaesthesia or physical restraint throughout the entire studies’.

In doing so, ‘the daily interactions between the animal care takers as well as veterinarians and the study cats were playful, more relaxed and stress-free and, in turn, the quality of the interaction for both, cats and humans, was significantly more valuable and beneficial’.

Andrea Spiri is member of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA) working group on rehoming of animals used for scientific purposes and education.

ABCD & Boehringer Ingelheim Young Scientist Awards

‘Our company is strongly committed to supporting independent research in the field of feline infectious diseases, and the Young Scientist Award represents a wonderful collaboration between Boehringer Ingelheim and the ABCD, said Dr Jean-Philippe Tronel, director of the global technical services for pet vaccines at Boehringer Ingelheim.

‘We warmly congratulate this year’s winners and encourage everyone to check out the previous winners, most of whom are still very active researchers and contributing to the health of our beloved cats.’

The Young Scientist Award, created in 2008, is presented annually to young scientists in veterinary or biomedical sciences, who have made an original contribution in the field of feline infectious diseases and/or immunology.

The ABCD and Boehringer Ingelheim Young Scientist Award, created in 2008, is funded by Boehringer Ingelheim and is presented to a young scientist in veterinary or biomedical sciences, who has made an original contribution in the field of feline infectious diseases and/or immunology. Applicants should have published their findings in a journal listed in PubMed or Web of Science or have had them accepted by another recognised assessing body.

Candidates should be based in Europe, have completed a veterinary or biomedical curriculum, and be under 35 years of age at the time of application. Applications in the fields of both basic and applied sciences are welcome.

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GUIDELINE for Good vaccination practices https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/guideline-for-good-vaccination-practices/ https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/guideline-for-good-vaccination-practices/#comments Sun, 01 May 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=4792 "To vaccinate as many cats as possible, but the individual cat only as often as necessary" is the motto, that has been established worldwide and is, and will remain, the philosophy of ABCD.
Although an annual vaccination schedule was adopted initially in cats, triennial vaccination (i.e.

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GUIDELINE for Good vaccination practices

Published: 01/05/2022
Last updated:
Last reviewed:



The Good vaccination practices guideline was authored by Uwe Truyen, Maria Grazia Pennisi et al.

Preamble

“To vaccinate as many cats as possible, but the individual cat only as often as necessary” is the motto, that has been established worldwide and is, and will remain, the philosophy of ABCD.

Although an annual vaccination schedule was adopted initially in cats, triennial vaccination (i.e. at three-year intervals) has been recommended for some vaccine components for several years. More recently, regular triennial revaccination has been challenged for some core components; instead an individual vaccination schedule, tailored according to the risk in the cat and antibody status, is recommended when feasible (see also the ABCD guidelines on vaccination and antibody testing HERE) and evaluated during an annual health check.

In addition to the vaccination schedule, several other factors are crucial for the success of vaccination, such as induction of a protective immune response.

In this guideline, practices are recommended to ensure maximum vaccination efficacy. Furthermore, several precautions to eliminate unwanted adverse effects of the vaccines are summarized. As there is only limited published literature on this topic, most recommendations are not evidence-based but rather based on expert opinions.

Factors that affect vaccination efficacy can be defined at different levels: the cat, the vaccine, application of the vaccine, vaccination documentation, vaccination schedule and adverse vaccination effects.

The cat

Pre-vaccination

Educational suggestions for improving owner adherence to the vaccination schedule

In order to vaccinate as many cats as possible owner adherence to the vaccination schedule, tailored to individual cats, is fundamental. However, despite the improving quality of feline medicine that exists, cats worldwide generally receive a lower level of medical care compared to dogs, and this includes care around preventive health care check and vaccinations (Freiwald et al., 2014; Gates et al., 2019; Eschle et al., 2020). One reason reported by cat owners for avoiding veterinary visits is the distress seen in many cats when they are carried out of their home. Continuous meows, panting, scratching the door, vomiting, defaecation and urination are common manifestations occurring during transportation of a cat in a carrier from their home to a vet. Moreover, after returning home, hiding for hours or up to 1-2 days and, in multi-cat households, aggression by other cats can occur. This typically happens when cats are not used to being transported from home, and when they only go to the vet following transportation, which is where negative experiences can occur. Cat owners should therefore be encouraged to accustom their cat to carriers in the home and also transport their cats in the car from an early age and on a regular basis, as do dog owners with their puppies. Moreover, exposure to positive experiences of young pets in the clinic should be promoted by bringing them to the vets to receive treats, toys, and pampering (Riemer et al., 2021). Careful transportation of cats requires closed comfortable carriers suppressing visual stimuli, and with a removable top half to let them stay in the bottom, at least at the beginning of the visit. Negative associations with the carrier have to be avoided and this can be helped by having the carrier available in the home as a place for the cat to rest undisturbed and receive treats. Great resources for owners for preparing for veterinary visits are available online from charities such as International Cat Care.

Preventive spraying of the interior of a carrier with a synthetic feline facial pheromone product can help reduce stress-related behaviors in cats during transportation. In fact, a significant decrease in stress-related responses was found in a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled pilot study, particularly in cats with higher stress scores (Shu and Gu, 2021). Single oral pre-appointment drug administration (e.g., with gabapentin or pregabalin) was also able to reduce signs of anxiety in cats during transportation (van Haaften et al., 2017; Lamminen et al., 2021) and gabapentin was found to improve cat compliance in cat undergoing a veterinary clinical examination (van Haaften et al., 2017). However, both drugs are currently not licensed for treating cats and at present their use should be restricted to fearful individuals.

On the veterinary practice side, vets and veterinary nurses and associated staff should be prepared to reduce the stress associated with veterinary visits in cats and to promote positive associations; it is important to have a cat friendly attitude and offer a cat friendly team and environment, including the use of a feline pheromone fraction product on the clinic examination table to reduce stress (Pereira et al., 2016; Rodan et al., 2011). Reducing the level of stress induced by the veterinary visit will produce a benefit for all involved parties: the cat, the owner and the veterinary team (Riemer et al., 2021) and will favour adherence to future prevention measures such as vaccinations.

Pre-vaccination interview with the owner

Vaccination is a medical procedure requiring a pre-vaccination interview to focus on the cat’s individual level of risk of exposure to pathogens preventable with vaccines, the health status of the cat, and other specific information.

Apart from the origin of the cat/kitten, all the other information has to be collected at every occasion as changes can occur anytime. History about lifestyle is investigated by specific questions about access to outdoors, multi-cat housing, hunting activities, housing with dogs, and travelling. However, the possibility of a change in the cat’s lifestyle during the following year should be checked.

The presence of immunocompromised people (including elderly people and young children) in the household should be investigated. In such situations specific recommendations, e.g., on ectoparasite prevention, should be given, and in addition, some vaccines (e.g., the live vaccine for Bordetella bronchiseptica) are not recommended.

Finally, any previous adverse reactions to vaccination must be recorded and considered in decision-making regarding vaccination and the use of possible premedications in the future.

General information that should be collected includes data on any changes in appetite, water consumption, micturition, nutrition (diet and rationing) and administration of any regular antiparasitic treatments (including endectocides), and the cat’s current and past health status, in order to be aware of any acute or chronic diseases.

However, the annual health check interview is also an educational opportunity to raise owner awareness about the importance of an annual “health check consultation” for prevention and early diagnosis of medical problems and assessing the need for vaccination.

Physical examination and laboratory investigations

Physical examination, to assure that the cat vaccinee is healthy and can respond to vaccination, is part of the annual health check. This includes identity microchip reading, determination of body condition score, muscle condition score, body weight (it is important to keep a continuous record of body weight for comparison with previous visits, rather than have a computer program that simply updates weight to the current status), temperature, and blood pressure, among others.

A complete blood count, serum biochemistry and urinalysis are indicated at least in mature and older cats. However, urinalysis can also be included in the annual health check of younger cats starting at one year of age because of the good cost-benefit ratio (e.g. for early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease and feline lower urinary tract disease) due to urine being accessible without invasive sampling techniques (owners can be easily educated to collect a sample from the litter box with non-absorbable litter). Blood collected should also be used for testing for FeLV/FIV if the cat has been at risk of exposure (see also the ABCD guidelines on feline leukaemia virus infection HERE and on feline immunodeficiency virus infection HERE) and anti-feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) antibody testing to predict level of protection present for FPV (see also the ABCD guideline on vaccination and antibody testing HERE).

A combined owner and veterinary decision about the vaccination protocol/schedule required in the cat can be decided at the end of the consultation following obtaining the above results.

The vaccine

Vaccines are complex biological medicinal products. Those available and commonly used in cats belong to one of four main classes: modified live virus (MLV) vaccines, inactivated, usually adjuvanted full virus vaccines, subunit vaccines and vector vaccines. Nucleic acid vaccines (RNA or DNA vaccines) are not currently available for cats, but the impressive success of the mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 will certainly lead to a new generation of cat vaccines based on this technology.

MLV vaccines contain infectious viruses, which start to replicate in the cat following administration, inducing an immune response. Inactivated vaccines, and subunit vaccines, which only contain one structural protein (i.e. a “subunit”) of a virus particle, are not infectious but interact directly with immune cells. While inactivated vaccines and subunit vaccines induce predominantly antibodies against the vaccine components, MLVs and vector vaccines will initiate both humoral and cellular immunity, generating antibodies and cytotoxic T cells, respectively, directed against the viral antigens.

A particular modification of a MLV vaccine is a vector vaccine, in which the immunodominant protein of a virus is expressed by a vector virus, e.g., canarypox virus. When the vector virus replicates, the foreign protein is expressed along with the vector virus proteins and is therefore presented as a de novo synthesized protein to the immune cells. For an efficient immune response to occur, the vector virus has to infect the cat, but the vector virus replication is blocked at a specific stage in the viral replication cycle. Therefore, no infectious virus particles are formed and no vector virus is shed by the vaccinated cat.

Although MLV vaccines and inactivated vaccines are fundamentally different, they are both fragile and generally need an intact cold chain for supply. Even if the vaccines are lyophilized, storage at low temperatures (4-6oC), but above 0oC, is required and storage and temperature monitoring best practice should be followed, see HERE. Vaccines should not be frozen, unless it is explicitly stated on the package leaflet that it is safe to do so. It might be necessary to transport vaccine vials out of the clinic, for example when vaccinations are carried out at catteries. In this case, there is a real risk of unknowingly freezing vaccine vials when they are transported with coolant packs. The use of conditioned frozen water bottles, as well as insulating material between the bottles and the vials, will keep refrigerated vaccines inside appropriate containers at the right temperature and prevent them from freezing (see HERE). Additionally, a temperature monitoring device should be used inside the vaccine container to ensure  that the required temperatures are maintained.

After reconstitution of lyophilized vaccines, some of these vaccines can lose their immunogenicity rapidly. Thus, reconstituted vaccines should always be used within the time period after reconstitution specified in the package instructions. These conditions should be considered primarily for (most) MLV vaccines and to a lesser extent for inactivated vaccines.

Even with appropriate storage, vaccines can lose their immunogenicity and should not be used beyond the expiry date indicated on the vial or the package leaflet.

If a vaccine dose is taken from a bottle containing more than one dose, it must be ensured that the remaining vaccine doses in the vial are not contaminated by bacteria. Therefore, the vial rubber plug should be disinfected before puncture, and the needle should be removed from the bottle after withdrawing the vaccine dose. A new needle should always be used for vaccinating the cat. However, multi-dose vaccines (multiple dose vials) are generally not recommended for cats due their higher risk to cause feline injection-site sarcoma (FISS) (see also the ABCD guideline on FISS HERE).

The various vaccine companies often use different vaccine strains of a given virus in their vaccines. However, for most of the feline vaccine viruses, the antigenic differences between them are tiny and most likely not important. To change brands during a vaccination schedule is acceptable, except for feline calicivirus (FCV) vaccines containing different strains.

However, if multivalent vaccines are used, which contain several antigens, the same vaccine combination should always be used for the booster vaccination to ensure the maximum immune response to all components of the vaccine.

Vaccines can only be used if they are licensed by the respective national or international body. In Europe, this is the EMA (European Medicines Agency) in Amsterdam or the corresponding national institution, such as the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut in Germany.

The licence covers exclusively the original formulation of the vaccine. The dilution or mixing of vaccines is not permitted unless the dilution or mixing has also been licensed. The latter is of particular importance as it allows the tailored vaccination of an individual cat only with the components required for that individual cat, and to omit other components of a multivalent vaccine that are not required.

Administration of the vaccine and post-vaccination measures

Before administration, the vaccine should be allowed to warm up to room temperature. Vaccines have to be used according to the instructions given on the package leaflet, which is part of the licence. Intranasal vaccines must be applied intranasally, and parenteral vaccines by injection parenterally.

A parenteral vaccine should be applied strictly subcutaneously; intramuscular (see also the ABCD guideline on FISS HERE) or even intravenous administration must be avoided. A rare adverse effect of vaccination, as well as other injections or trauma, in cats is FISS. Administration of vaccines (or other injections) between the scapulae is therefore generally not recommended because complete tumour resection is almost impossible in this location, should a tumour develop. Instead, it is recommended to inject the vaccine distally in a leg because, as a possible subsequent treatment of FISS, amputation of the leg can be effective to save the life of the cat (see also the ABCD guideline on FISS HERE), since FISS tumours are very difficult to excise completely and often recur after resection.

If, for any reason active vaccination (using a MLV or inactivated vaccine) and hyperimmune serum have to be applied at the same time, the two components must be injected at different sites. The hyperimmune serum and the vaccine should never be mixed in one syringe, as this will neutralize the vaccine virus and render the vaccine ineffective.

Owners have to be informed about potential adverse reactions and post-vaccination measures (see also the ABCD guideline on adverse reactions to vaccination HERE).

In the short term it is recommended to restrict free-roaming of outdoor cats and monitor them for the first 24 hours after vaccine administration. Any adverse reactions must be reported to the relevant national pharmacovigilance authorities (see HERE).

Vaccination documentation

The vaccination card provides the animal owner and the veterinarian with a summary of the vaccination history of the animal and helps to define the need for re-vaccination in the individual cat.

It is also important to record vaccination-relevant treatments or test results, such as immunosuppressive treatments or antibody status determination, any adverse reactions and the batch and expiry date of the vaccine used.

For cats that travel within Europe, the pet passport is an official document that is mandatory according to the EU directives 576/2013 and 577/2013, mainly to ensure that the cat can be identified and is protected against rabies.

The cats have to be identified by identity microchipping and the corresponding passport, which can only be issued by authorized veterinarians. The cat must have a valid rabies vaccination, as outlined in the directive EU 576/2013. In brief, the anti-rabies vaccine should have been administered by an authorized veterinarian, the cat needs to have been at least 12 weeks old on the date on which the rabies vaccine was administered, and at least 21 days should have expired following the completion of the rabies vaccination protocol required by the manufacturer for the primary vaccination, and be within the period of protective immunity, which is generally three years, for the vaccine to be recognised. Cats younger than 15 weeks of age are not allowed to travel within the EU, as the minimal age of rabies vaccination is 12 weeks, and only 21 days after vaccination is full and reliable protection formally defined.

Cats that travel to countries outside the EU need to fulfill additional requirements for entry into the respective countries.

Vaccination schedule

For detailed information on recommended vaccine schedules see the ABCD tool “Vaccine recommendations” (see HERE). Special information is provided in the ABCD guidelines for “Vaccination of immunocompromised cats” (see HERE) and “Adverse reactions to vaccination” (see HERE).

CONCLUSIONS

Cat vaccination is a valuable medical procedure and is a corner stone of feline preventive medicine. The transition from the annual cat vaccination with a “one size fits all” approach, to an individual vaccination prescription tailored according to specific needs evaluated during the annual health check visit increases the practitioner’s responsibility and role. Vaccination is obviously far more than “one shot” and requires dedicated time that should be adequately charged.

Acknowledgement

ABCD Europe gratefully acknowledges the support of Boehringer Ingelheim (the founding sponsor of the ABCD), Virbac and IDEXX GmbH.

References

Eschle S, Hartmann K, Bergmann M (2020): Compliance of dog and cat owners in preventive health care. Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere. 48(5), 349-360.  doi: 10.1055/a-1241-3433. Epub 2020 Oct 21.

Gates MC, Walker J, Zito S, Dale A (2019): Cross-sectional survey of pet ownership, veterinary service utilisation, and pet-related expenditures in New Zealand. N Z Vet J 67(6), 306-314. doi: 10.1080/00480169.2019.1645626

Lamminen T, Korpivaara M, Suokko M, Aspegrén J, Palestrini C, Overall K (2021): Efficacy of a Single Dose of Pregabalin on Signs of Anxiety in Cats During Transportation – A Pilot Study. Front Vet Sci 8; https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.711816

Pereira JS, Fragoso S, Beck A, Lavigne St, Varejão AS, da Graça Pereira G (2016):  Improving the feline veterinary consultation: the usefulness of Feliway spray in reducing cats’ stress. J Feline Med Surg 18(12), 959-964.  doi: 10.1177/1098612X15599420

Riemer St, Heritier C, Windschnurer I, Pratsch L, Arhant Ch, Affenzeller N (2021): A Review on Mitigating Fear and Aggression in Dogs and Cats in a Veterinary Setting. Animals 11, 158. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010158

Rodan I, Sundahl E, Carney H, Gagnon A-C, Landsberg G, Seksel K, Yin S (2011): AAFP and ISFM Feline-Friendly Handling Guidelines. J Feline Med Surg 13, 364–375. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2011.03.012

Shu H, Gu X (2021): Effect of a synthetic feline facial pheromone product on stress during transport in domestic cats: a randomised controlled pilot study. J Feline Med Surg 1-9, doi.org/10.1177/1098612X211041305

van Haaften KA, Eichstadt Forsythe LR, Stelow EA,  Bain MJ (2017): Effects of a single preappointment dose of gabapentin on signs of stress in cats during transportation and veterinary examination. J Am Vet Med Assoc 15;251(10), 1175-1181.  doi: 10.2460/javma.251.10.1175251; https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.251.10.1175

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Calicivirus Infection in Cats https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/calicivirus-infection-in-cats/ Fri, 29 Apr 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=4057 Received: 30 March 2022 / Revised: 24 April 2022 / Accepted: 25 April 2022 / Published: 29 April 2022
Abstract
Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common pathogen in domestic cats that is highly contagious, resistant to many disinfectants and demonstrates a high genetic variability.

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Calicivirus Infection in Cats

Viruses 2022, 14(5), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14050937

Received: 30 March 2022 / Revised: 24 April 2022 / Accepted: 25 April 2022 / Published: 29 April 2022

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a common pathogen in domestic cats that is highly contagious, resistant to many disinfectants and demonstrates a high genetic variability…

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Vaccination of Immunocompromised Cats https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/vaccination-of-immunocompromised-cats-2/ Thu, 28 Apr 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=4109 Received: 30 March 2022 / Revised: 25 April 2022 / Accepted: 26 April 2022 / Published: 28 April 2022
Abstract
Immunocompromise is a common condition in cats, especially due to widespread infections with immunosuppressive viruses, such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), but also due to

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Vaccination of Immunocompromised Cats

Viruses 2022, 14(5), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/v14050937

Received: 30 March 2022 / Revised: 25 April 2022 / Accepted: 26 April 2022 / Published: 28 April 2022

Immunocompromise is a common condition in cats, especially due to widespread infections with immunosuppressive viruses…

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GUIDELINE for SARS-Coronavirus CoV-2 y gatos https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/guideline-for-sars-coronavirus-cov-2-y-gatos/ Fri, 01 Apr 2022 09:24:13 +0000 https://www.abcdcatsvets.org/?p=4695 El coronavirus (CoV) que causa la COVID-19 (coronavirus infection disease 2019) fue identificado por primera vez en diciembre de 2019, en la ciudad de Wuhan, provincia de Hubei, China.

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GUIDELINE for SARS-Coronavirus CoV-2 y gatos

Published: 01/04/2022
Last updated:
Last reviewed:





Estas directrices fueron redactadas por Margaret J. Hosie, Katrin Hartmann, Regina Hofmann-Lehmann, Diane D. Addie, Uwe Truyen, Herman Egberink, Séverine Tasker, Tadeusz Frymus, Maria Grazia Pennisi, Karin Möstl et al e updated por Margaret J. Hosie et al.

Introducción

El coronavirus (CoV) que causa la COVID-19 (coronavirus infection disease 2019) fue identificado por primera vez en diciembre de 2019, en la ciudad de Wuhan, provincia de Hubei, China. Este nuevo virus es muy parecido al coronavirus conocido como SARS-CoV que causó una epidemia de enfermedad respiratoria aguda grave (SRAS) en 2003 y se le ha denominado SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). El SARS-CoV-2 pertenece al género Betacoronavirus, familia Coronaviridae, orden Nidovirales (ver Tabla 1 en la versión en inglés). Es una nueva variante que no había sido previamente identificada en humanos ni otros animales. El SARS-CoV-2 no se ha originado de ningún coronavirus de los animales de compañía ni guarda ninguna relación con los coronavirus felinos (FCoV) habituales. La infección por el SARS-CoV-2 se ha propagado a muchos países en el mundo y ha sido declarada pandemia por la Organización Mundial de la Salud el 11 de marzo de 2020 (WHO, 2020).

Otros coronavirus humanos

Actualmente se han identificado siete coronavirus humanos (HCoVs) (Corman et al., 2018; Cui et al., 2019), que se muestran en la Tabla 1 (ver tabla en la versión en inglés). Todos ellos causan enfermedad respiratoria en humanos de gravedad diversa, desde infecciones sintomáticas o leves (resfriado común) a cuadros de neumonía y bronquiolitis.

En las dos últimas décadas se han producido dos brotes importantes asociados a coronavirus en humanos: SARS (Drosten et al., 2003) y el síndrome respiratorio del oriente medio (MERS) (Zaki et al., 2012). Ambos virus, el del SRAS y el del MERS, evolucionaron de virus de los murciélagos que son los reservorios naturales de muchos CoV (Li et al., 2005; Ithete et al., 2013). Se han aislado de murciélagos virus con secuencias genéticas muy similares SARS-CoV-2, lo cual indica que, al igual que en los brotes previos de CoV, los murciélagos son el origen potencial del nuevo CoV. Actualmente aún no está demostrado si la transmisión del SARS-CoV-2 ocurrió directamente de murciélagos a humanos, o si la transmisión ocurrió de forma indirecta mediante un hospedador intermedio.

Tres de los siete coronavirus humanos (virus del MERS, SARS y COVID-19) pueden causar enfermedad grave y la muerte, aunque también en algunos individuos pueden ser leves o asintomáticas. Los cuatro restantes coronavirus humanos típicamente causan enfermedad respiratoria leve en personas adultas sanas. Sin embargo, contribuyen en una tercera parte de los resfriados comunes y pueden causar enfermedades graves o críticas en personas que sufren inmunosupresión.

Variedad de especies hospedadoras del SARS-CoV-2

La variedad de especies hospedadoras depende de varios factores. El primer paso de la infección vírica ocurre cuando el virus se une a una célula huésped susceptible mediante interacciones específicas entre el receptor de unión de una proteína viral y las moléculas receptoras del virus en la célula. Esto es un hecho clave que determina la susceptibilidad del huésped y el tropismo tisular del virus.

Ambos virus, el SARS-CoV y SARS-CoV-2 utilizan la enzima convertidora de la angiotensina 2 (ACE-2), proteína de membrana de un solo paso tipo I, como receptor del virus para producir la infección. ACE-2 presenta una alta expresión en pulmones, arterias, corazón, riñones e intestinos. También es una proteína importante en la regulación de la presión arterial.

El receptor de unión vírico está localizado en un dominio de la spike protein (S), glicoproteína que sobresale de la superficie del virus. La proteína S y el receptor de unión con el virus han sido bien estudiados para el SARS-CoV, y recientemente se han realizado análisis extensos de la secuencia y pruebas funcionales con el SARS-CoV-2. La secuencia del SARS-CoV-2 es muy similar a la de los CoVs que circulan en murciélagos (Zhou et al., 2020) que causaron el SARS en 2002. Se han encontrado virus parecidos en pangolines malayos (Lam et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2020a), cosa que podría indicar que estos animales podrían ser huéspedes intermedios, aunque este hecho no ha sido confirmado.

Se han identificado tres regiones cortas de la molécula ACE2 (de 3 a 11 aminoácidos de longitud) involucradas en la unión con el virus. Un análisis comparativo de estas secuencias en diferentes mamíferos, incluyendo humanos, simios, macacos, caballos, cerdos, cabras, ovejas, vacas, gatos, perros, ratas, ratones, hurones, murciélagos y civetas, revelaron algunas diferencias (Li et al., 2020). Las secuencias fueron idénticas para todos los simios, monos y humanos, pero se encontraron diferencias en residuos que se consideran importantes para la unión con el virus en otras especies. En gatos y perros, un residuo del ACE-2, que es esencial para a unión del virus, era diferente y en murciélago y civetas las secuencias tenían dos residuos esenciales distintas de la secuencia en humanos. Aunque se han identificado diferencias en las secuencias de la ACE2 de diferentes animales, el impacto de estos cambios de aminoácidos en el receptor de unión y la susceptibilidad de otras especies a la infección no se conoce actualmente. No obstante, la amplia similitud global de la secuencia puede ser la explicación la amplia variedad de huéspedes de los SARS coronavirus.

Infecciones por SARS-CoV en gatos

El SARS se detectó por primera vez en en 2002 originándose en un mercado de marisco en Guangdong, China (Drosten et al., 2003; Ksiazek et al., 2003; Peiris et al., 2003). El agente causal, SARS-CoV, se propagó desde China al resto del mundo (Guan et al., 2003; Lee et al., 2003; WHO, 2003b), pero la epidemia se contuvo tras 9 meses tras medidas estrictas de control (Guan et al., 2003). La epidemia provocó 8,096 casos documentados en humanos y 774 muertes en 27 países (WHO, 2003b).

El SARS-CoV se ha demostrado que es capaz de infectar una amplia variedad de especies en condiciones experimentales, incluyendo las civetas de las palmeras (Wu et al., 2005), monos (Fouchier et al., 2003; Glass et al., 2004; McAuliffe et al., 2004; Subbarao et al., 2004; Wentworth et al., 2004; Roberts et al., 2005a; Miyoshi-Akiyama et al., 2011), ratones (Liang et al., 2005; Roberts et al., 2005b; Zhao et al., 2007; Zaki et al., 2012), cerdos y pollos (ProMED, 2020a), cobayas (Mohd et al., 2016), y Hamsters Sirios (Cui et al., 2019; Donnelly et al., 2019). La prevalencia de la infección por SARS-CoV en las civetas (Paguma larvata), criadas para el consumo humano, fue alta (Wang et al., 2005; Sun et al., 2020), y los animales desarrollaron anticuerpos neutralizantes. Las civetas fueron consideradas huéspedes transitorios accidentales (Kuiken et al., 2003; Chen et al., 2005), y también se confirmó que ocasionalmente fueron la fuente directa de infecciones en humanos (Qin et al., 2005; Shi and Hu, 2008; Sun et al., 2020).

Los gatos domésticos fueron susceptibles a la infección experimental por SARS-CoV y sufrieron una infección activa, excreción del virus y cambios pulmonares muy parecidos a los observados en los casos mortales en humanos (Martina et al., 2003). En un estudio experimental, se inoculó vía intratraqueal el SARS-CoV en gatos con un promedio de 106 unidades de dosis infecciosas de cultivos tisulares (TCID50), que se obtuvieron de un paciente que había muerto de SARS, y después se pasaron 4 veces en células Vero 118 in vitro. Se obtuvieron hisopos nasales, faríngeos y rectales de los gatos en distintos días tras la infección, pero no se observaron signos clínicos tras la infección experimental. Se pudo aislar virus de muestras faríngeas tomadas de 2 a 8 días tras la infección y de muestras nasales de 4 a 6 días tras la infección, pero no se detectó virus en muestras rectales. Cuatro gatos fueron eutanasiados y se realizó la necropsia a los 4 días de la infección y se aisló SARS-CoV de la tráquea y pulmones, confirmando la infección de vías respiratorias inferiores. Sin embargo, la cuantificación del ARN vírico en homogenizados pulmonares demostró cargas virales bajas. Todos los gatos infectados por el virus que no fueron eutanasiados desarrollaron anticuerpos neutralizantes (títulos de 40 a 320) antes de 28 días tras la infección. Dos gatos no infectados que fueron puestos en contacto con los gatos infectados fueron positivos al virus por RT-PCR, con cargas virales que aumentaban gradualmente a partir del día 2 tras la infección y que llegaron a un pico a los 6 a 8 días tras la infección. Dos de los gatos en contacto no mostraron signos clínicos, pero desarrollaron anticuerpos antes de 28 días (Martina et al., 2003). En otro estudio de infección experimental intratraqueal en gatos con 106 TCID50 de SARS-CoV se describieron lesiones pulmonares (van den Brand et al., 2008). En la histología se detectó SARS-CoV en células que expresaban el receptor ACE2 y se observó lesión alveolar difusa y muchos cambios patológicos como los observados en humanos con SARS (van den Brand et al., 2008). Una diferencia en gatos fue la presencia de traqueo-bronquoadenitis, que no ha sido documentada en humanos (van den Brand et al., 2008; 2014). Los datos de ambos estudios demostraron que los gatos son susceptibles a la infección experimental por el SARS-CoV, que el virus se podía transmitir entre gatos y que los signos clínicos y las lesiones anatomo-patológicas eran similares a las de los humanos (Martina et al., 2003; van den Brand et al., 2008).

La infección natural en gatos también fue descrita durante la primera epidemia de SARS. Algunos gatos resultaron positivos a la RT-PCR de SARS-CoV (Kuiken et al., 2003; Rowe et al., 2004; Wang et al., 2005; Shi and Hu, 2008; He et al., 2013). Además, los gatos domésticos que vivían en un bloque de apartamentos en Hong Kong donde 100 personas se infectaron, fueron positivos a la RT-PCR. Sin embargo, no se pudo encontrar ninguna prueba definitiva que demostrara la transmisión de humanos a gatos (Martina et al., 2003; WHO, 2003a; Lawler et al., 2006). Se tomaron muestras orofaríngeas y rectales durante 14 días seguidos de gatos de una casa en la que vivían muchos gatos y de dos perros de este bloque de apartamentos tras el diagnóstico de SARS de sus propietarios. Ocho gatos y 1 de los perros salieron positivos a la RT-PCR. Se confirmó la infección espontánea de gatos de otros 3 hogares en los que convivían varios gatos mediante RT-PCR de muestras orofaríngeas y rectales tomadas durante un periodo de 14 días (WHO, 2003a). El SARS-CoV se aisló de gatos y la secuencia del virus fue idéntica a la del virus en humanos (WHO, 2003a). La presencia de anticuerpos séricos mediante técnica de neutralización confirmó la infección por SARS-CoV en un gato positivo a la RT-PCR y de 4 de 5 gatos (incluyendo 3 positivos a la RT-PCR) de otra vivienda. Los gatos fueron aislados y se mantuvieron en grupos de la misma vivienda en jaulas individuales y en habitaciones separadas mientras estuvieron aislados. La evidencia de propagación en las jaulas de aislamiento fue limitada (5 gatos en contacto directo con esos gatos no se infectaron) (Martina et al., 2003; WHO, 2003a; Lawler et al., 2006). El SARS-CoV también se detectó en el cuerpo de escarabajos y en heces de roedores de ese bloque de apartamentos. Las heces y muestras de garganta de ratas fueron positivas a la RT-PCR, pero no mostraron signos clínicos (Legislative Council Select Committee, 2004). Los gatos podrían haberse infectado mediante la ingestión de escarabajos o roedores.

Evidencias de la transmisión del SARS-CoV-2 de humanos a animales domésticos

En el momento de escribir estas guías (23 abril de 2020), ha habido algunos casos de animales domésticos documentados positivos al SARS-CoV-2 y que aparentemente se infectaron de sus propietarios que tenían síntomas de COVID-19. En Hong Kong, los perros y los gatos de hogares con personas infectadas han sido puestos en cuarentena por el Departamento de Agricultura, Pesca y Conservación (AFCD) (Cheng, 2020). La AFCD ha realizado pruebas en perros y gatos de hogares con personas enfermas de COVID-19 confirmadas o personas que habían estado en contacto directo con enfermos. En el momento de escribir esta guía (23 abril de 2020), 2 de los 30 perros y 1 de los 17 gatos puestos en cuarentena en Hong Kong han sido positivos a la RT-PCR de SARS-CoV-2 (WSAVA 2020); además se detectaron anticuerpos en dos de los perros (ProMED, 2020d). Además, un gato que vivía con una persona enferma de COVID-19 también salió positivo en Bélgica y en los últimos días se han confirmado 2 gatos positivos en New York, EUA  (ProMED- COVID-19 update (113).

El primero de estos cuatro casos de transmisión de personas a animales era un Pomerania de 17 años en Hong. Se le realizaron repetidamente RT-PCR de SARS-CoV-2 de hisopos orales y nasales que salieron positivas con baja carga viral (ProMED, 2020a, b). El perro siguió saliendo positivo a la RT-PCR después de sacarlo de la casa donde vivía. La secuenciación entre el virus del perro y del propietario mostró alta similitud sugiriendo la transmisión de persona a perro (ProMED, 2020c). El aislamiento viral fue negativo indicando que no se detectó virus vivo lo cual fue coherente con la baja cantidad de material genético detectado en las muestras. El perro salió positivo a la RT-PCR durante 12 días y se negativizó y fue enviado a casa. También desarrolló anticuerpos indicando que se había producido una replicación activa del virus y una respuesta inmune (ProMED, 2020d). El perro murió 3 días después de volver a casa sin mostrar signos clínicos compatibles de COVID-19. No se realizó estudio post mortem y por tanto no se sabe si la infección vírica causó lesiones patológicas. La causa de la muerte no se pudo determinar, pero el perro sufría otras enfermedades (ProMED, 2020c).

Un segundo perro, Pastor Alemán de 2 años, que convivía con una persona con COVID-19 en Hong Kong, salió positivo repetidamente a SARS-CoV-2 mediante RT-PCR de muestras orales y nasales. En ningún momento ha mostrado signos clínicos, pero continua bajo control.

El tercer caso positivo en Hong Kong era un gato doméstico de pelo corto en cuarentena ya que el propietario estaba confirmado de COVID-19. Hisopos orales, nasales y rectales fueron positivos a RNA de SARS-CoV-2 RNA. El gato mostraba ningún signo clínico de enfermedad.

Recientemente, un gato en Bélgica que convivía con una persona confinada ya que había sido diagnosticada de COVID-19, desarrolló signos clínicos una semana después que el propietario volviera de Italia. Los signos clínicos del gato (anorexia, diarrea, vómitos, tos y respiración superficial) fueron compatibles con una infección por CoV (respiratorio y/o digestivo) y el gato resultó positivo a ARN de SARS-CoV-2 en muestras sucesivas de heces y vómitos. Los resultados positivos a RT-PCR fueron confirmados por secuenciación. Nueve días después del inicio de los signos clínicos el gato mejoró (Giet and Desmecht, 2020, no publicado). Los resultados indicaron una carga de ARN alta (D. Desmecht, comunicación personal), indicativa de infección por la transmisión de humano a gato. Sin embargo, la detección de ARN de SARS-CoV-2 en el contenido gástrico y de heces debe ser interpretado con cautela, ya que el SARS-CoV-2 de la persona y del ambiente podría haber entrado en el tracto gastrointestinal. En el momento de escribir estas guías (23 abril, 2020), no se ha realizado determinación de anticuerpos en el gato lo cual determinaría si se produjo o no una infección productiva.

Dos casos más de infección por el SARS-CoV-2 en gatos han sido confirmados en New York (ProMED, 2020e).  El propietario de uno de los gatos era un infectado confirmado con test, pero el segundo gato venía de un hogar en el que no había ninguna persona con la infección confirmada. Ambos gatos presentaban signos respiratorios.

Prevalencia de infección por SARS-CoV-2 en animales domésticos

El laboratorio privado de diagnóstico IDEXX realizó un estudio en más de 4,000 muestras caninas, felinas y equinas obtenidas en USA y Corea del Sur, pero no detectó ninguna muestra positiva (www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/idexx-sars-cov-2-covid-19-realpcr-test/, EVAg, 2020; IDEXX, 2020). El estudio fue hecho con una RT-PCR a tiempo real para la detección de SARS-CoV-2 que se basó en una única alineación de las secuencias víricas publicadas de las infecciones en personas.

Las muestras de los animales eran hisopos (principalmente faríngeos y conjuntivales) y heces que se enviaron del 14 de febrero al 12 de marzo de 2020 de todo EUA y Corea del Sur. Las muestras habían sido enviadas para analizar los patógenos más habituales de enfermedad respiratoria y diarrea en las tres especies. Las muestras fueron analizadas en paralelo con tres pruebas provenientes del Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No salió ninguna prueba positiva positive en ninguna de las muestras (www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/idexx-sars-cov-2-covid-19-realpcr-test/)). No obstante, es posible que en muestras tomadas en fases posteriores de la pandemia o en hogares con personas enfermas de COVID-19 pudieran salir resultados positivos que mostrarían evidencias de infección por SARS-CoV-2 en perros y gatos.

Zhang et al. (2020b) publicaron de forma preliminar el 1 de abril de 2020 (artículo aun en revisión) que los gatos se infectan por SARS-CoV-2 tras la exposición natural a personas infectadas. Quince de 102 sueros de gatos (14.7%) obtenidos durante la epidemia en Wuhan fueron positivos a anticuerpos que reconocían el dominio del receptor del SARS-CoV-2 mediante ELISA. Los resultados de este estudio implican que los gatos pueden infectarse en cualquiera de las zonas afectadas por la pandemia. Los autores destacaron que el suero de 3 gatos de los que se conocía que sus propietarios eran enfermos de COVID-19, y obviamente habían estado en contacto, tenían títulos de anticuerpos neutralizantes superiores comparado con los sueros de gatos hospitalizados o ferales. Aunque la vía de transmisión en los gatos ferales no se conoce totalmente, podría ser que se infectaran a través del contacto con ambientes contaminados por SARS-CoV-2, o de personas alimentadoras de colonias que estuvieran afectadas de COVID-19 o incluso como resultado de la transmisión de gato a gato.

Evidencias de transmisión del SARS-CoV-2 a animales no domésticos

La infección por SARS-CoV-2 de un gato no doméstico se documentó por primera vez el 4 de abril de 2020 (OIE 2020a).  Se tomaron muestras nasales y orofaríngeas de un tigre hembra Malayan de 4 años (Panthera tigris jacksoni) que presentaba signos respiratorios y se fueron positivas a ARN de SARS-CoV-2. El tigre estaba en cautividad en la Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) del zoo del Bronx, donde también 2 tigres Malayan, 2 tigres Amur (Pantheratigris altaica), y 3 leones African (Panthera leo) habían desarrollado signos respiratorios durante un periodo de una semana y mejoraron clínicamente tras tratamiento de soporte. El 15 de abril se confirmó que uno de los 3 leones era positivo a SARS-CoV-2 (OIE 2020b). Se Dado que durante años no se habían introducido animales nuevos se sospecha que el SARS-CoV-2 fue transmitido al tigre por parte de uno de los cuidadores que era asintomático o presintomático en el momento de la exposición.

Infección experimental por SARS-CoV-2 en gatos

Shi et al. (2020) publicaron los resultados de la infección experimental con SARS-CoV-2 en gatos, perros, hurones y otros animales domésticos. Los autores han demostrado que los gatos y los hurones son susceptibles a la infección. Tras la infección vía intranasal de gatos domésticos de 8 meses con 105 PFU de SARS-CoV-2 aislado de un paciente humano, se detectó ARN vírico en las vías respiratorias altas, intestino delgado y heces. Solamente se encontró virus infectivo en la vía respiratoria superior, pero no en el resto de tejidos. Tras la infección con las mismas dosis altas de virus de gatitos de 10 a 14 semanas se detectó ARN viral y virus infectivo en muestras de las vías respiratorias altas, pulmones, intestino delgado y lavados nasales. Se observaron lesiones patológicas en los pulmones cosa que sugiere que el SARS-CoV-2 se replica más eficientemente en gatos más jóvenes. Uno de los 3 gatos de 10 a 14 semanas murió el tercer día después de la exposición al virus. Tres de los gatos de 10 a 14 semanas y tres de los de 8 meses se alojaron en jaulas individuales adyacentes a gatos no infectados. Dos de los gatos (uno de 10 a 14 semanas y el otro de 8 meses) en jaulas adyacentes a los gatos infectados se infectaron y desarrollaron anticuerpos. Sin embargo, como estos gatos estaban en jaulas junto a los infectados sin un aislador, no queda claro si la vía de infección fue por aerosol de secreciones respiratorias o por heces, ya que los gatos expuestos podrían haber tenido contacto con las heces de los gatos infectados. Se necesitarán más estudios para determinar si el SARS-CoV-2 se transmite fácilmente o no entre gatos. En este momento, no existen evidencias que el SARS-CoV-2 pueda transmitirse de gatos a humanos.

Estabilidad de los coronavirus

Los coronavirus son virus con envoltura y una vez ésta se daña o destruye el virus no es infectivo. Este es el motivo por el cual un lavado de manos con agua y jabón durante al menos 20 segundos puede evitar la transmisión del SARS-CoV-2. Sin embargo, los coronavirus parece que son más estables en condiciones de sequedad comparado con otros virus con envoltura y pueden permanecer infectivos periodos largos de tiempo en superficies. Este es el motivo por el cual se utilizan frecuentemente para probar desinfectantes químicos. Además, algunas proteínas en sangre y heces pueden proteger a los virus frente a la inactivación, prolongando la infectividad del virus (Scott, 1988).

La estabilidad de los coronavirus en superficies es variable. El SARS-CoV (beta-coronavirus) es ligeramente más estable que el alpha-coronavirus humano HCoV-229E (Rabenau et al., 2005a). Un estudio reciente comparó la estabilidad del SARS-CoV y SARS-CoV-2 en aerosoles y en superficies y los resultados fueron idénticos (Van Doremalen et al., 2020), en ambos casos los virus fueron infectivos en superficies secas hasta 72 horas.

El tipo de superficies es crucial. El SARS-CoV-2 permanece infectivo más tiempo en plástico y acero inoxidable comparado con cartón o cobre (24-72 horas versus 8-24 horas, respectivamente (Van Doremalen et al., 2020)). En el SARS, MERS y otros CoV humanos, la persistencia ha sido probada en diferentes tipos de superficies (resumidas en Kampf et al., 2020): a temperatura ambiente se ha documentado la persistencia del virus durante varios días en metal, madera, papel, vidrio y plástico con un máximo de 9 días en el plástico en un estudio (Rabenau et al., 2005a). SARS-CoV y SARS-CoV-2 permanecieron viables e infectivos en aerosoles durante horas y en diferentes superficies durante días; estos resultados indican que puede esperarse tanto la transmisión por aerosol como por fómites (Van Doremalen et al., 2020).

Igual que con otros virus con envoltura, los coronavirus son altamente susceptibles a desinfectantes químicos de uso común y se inactivan rápidamente con alcoholes, lejía, benzalconio, aldehídos y otros (Rabenau et al., 2005b; Kampf et al., 2020). Se han observado diferencias en la inactivación de los alpha-coronavirus felinos (FCoV) en función del tipo de arena sanitaria. Un estudio demostró que algunas arenas sanitarias, particularmente las de bentonita, puede unirse y podrían inactivar los CoV excretados en heces y por tanto podrían ayudar a disminuir la carga de FCoV en los hogares infectados (Addie et al., 2020).

Es posible que los gatos puedan actuar como fómites en hogares con personas enfermas de COVID-19, aunque hasta ahora no se han publicado estudios sobre la supervivencia del SARS-CoV-2 en el pelo. Los gatos no deben ser desinfectados en ninguna circunstancia, solamente las superficies inorgánicas. El uso no apropiado de desinfectantes que pueden ser ingeridos durante el acicalamiento podría causar quemaduras e intoxicaciones.

Diagnóstico

En este momento, no se recomienda como normal general hacer pruebas de SARS-CoV-2 ya que el uso de los tests y reactivos deben priorizarse para las pruebas en personas. El CDC ha dado recomendaciones para ayudar a los veterinarios a identificar en que situaciones sería adecuado hacer la prueba de SARS-CoV-2 en animales. Es posible hacer la prueba de SARS-CoV-2 en mascotas en los EUA (https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/reference-laboratories/idexx-realpcr-tests/idexx-sars-cov-2-covid-19-realpcr-test/) siempre que las autoridades de salud pública estén de acuerdo en realizar la prueba (CDC, 2020). En los hogares en los que hay personas enfermas de COVID-19 o positivas a la RT-PCR de SARS-CoV-2, los gatos tienen riesgo de infectarse. En estos casos deben seguirse medidas de higiene estrictas para prevenir la transmisión de humanos a gatos.

En algunos países y en situaciones especiales se han podido y se pueden realizar pruebas en gatos, por ejemplo, en una casa con enfermos de COVID-19, pero en salvo estas excepciones la realización de pruebas debe reservarse para personas y sanitarios. Las pruebas de RT-PCR se utilizan para detectar ARN viral en hisopos de mucosa orofaríngea o nasal. Los tests ELISA se utilizan para detectar anticuerpos en suero o plasma. El aislamiento vírico está restringido a laboratorios especializados con unidades de contención biológica de nivel 3 ya que el aislamiento del SARS-CoV-2 implica un riesgo para el personal del laboratorio.

Conclusión

En vista del potencial que existe que los propietarios y cuidadores infectados puedan transmitir el virus a sus mascotas y la posibilidad que los gatos puedan actuar como fómites, debe evitarse el contacto estrecho con perros y gatos en hogares donde vivan personas infectadas con el SARS-CoV-2 o que tengan síntomas de COVID-19. Si una persona con COVID-19 debe continuar viviendo con su mascota mientras sufre la enfermedad, se deben tener medidas de higiene estrictas que incluyen lavarse las manos con agua y jabón al menos durante 20 segundos antes y después de tocar el animal, la comida o los suplementos que utilice el animal. Es esencial también no dar besos ni compartir comida, ropa o toallas con los animales.

En vista de las descripciones recientes de infecciones por SARS-CoV-2 en algunos gatos en contacto con personas infectadas por el SARS-CoV-2, así como el tigre supuestamente infectado por su cuidador, es prudente que los gatos que vivan en hogares con personas infectadas o enfermas no salgan de casa hasta que no se tenga un conocimiento más profundo de si el virus se transmite o no de forma eficiente a otros gatos o personas en condiciones naturales. Los gatos que vivan en una casa con personas enfermas o infectadas no deben trasladarse a otra casa. La American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) ha desarrollado protocolos detallados para ser implementados con el fin de proteger al personal expuesto a situaciones de alto riesgo, como pueden ser entrar en viviendas de personas infectadas o estar cerca de una persona enferma. La AVMA recomienda que los procedimientos deben ser consecuentes con las guías más actualizadas de las autoridades en salud pública (AVMA, 2020).

Desde el ABCD recalcamos que actualmente no existen evidencias que los gatos puedan transmitir el SARS-CoV-2 a las personas. Esta guía se irá actualizando regularmente a medida que vayan apareciendo nuevos datos e informaciones. Los propietarios y cuidadores de mascotas deben mantener unas buenas medidas higiénicas y en ninguna circunstancia los gatos o perros deben ser abandonados.

Agradecimientos

ABCD Europe agradece el apoyo de Boehringer Ingelheim (patrocinador fundador del ABCD) y de Virbac.

Referencias

Ver la versión en inglés

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