Andrea Spiri

Andrea Monika Spiri is a Swiss veterinarian and researcher specializing in feline infectious diseases, particularly feline calicivirus (FCV) and feline coronavirus. She earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Vetsuisse Faculty at the University of Zurich, Switzerland in 2016, with a dissertation focusing on the genetic diversity and phenotypic associations of FCV in Swiss cats. She found a significant association between FCV phylogeny and host characteristics, specifically the pedigree status of the cat.
She expanded her expertise in feline virology and immunology by earning a PhD at the Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Switzerland and the Clinical Laboratory of the Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich. As part of her research, she undertook a research stay at the Centre for Virus Research (CVR) at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Her PhD work demonstrated that modified-live FCV vaccination elicited cellular, but not humoral, cross-immunity in cats. In recognition of her significant contributions to understanding FCV infection and immunity, with practical implications for feline health, she was honored with the 2022 European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) and Boehringer Ingelheim Young Scientist Award.
She is currently a postdoctoral researcher and scientific associate at the Clinical Laboratory of the Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Her work focuses on infectious disease diagnostics and research in clinical infectiology, with a particular emphasis on feline coronavirus, feline infectious peritonitis treatments, and FCV.

My selection of 10 most important publications
1. Zuzzi-Krebitz, A. M.; Buchta, K.; Bergmann, M.; Krentz, D.; Zwicklbauer, K.; Dorsch, R.; Wess, G.; Fischer, A.; Matiasek, K.; Hönl, A.; Fiedler, S.; Kolberg, L.; Hofmann-Lehmann, R.; Meli, M. L.; Spiri, A.M.; Helfer-Hungerbuehler, A. K.; Felten, S.; Zablotski, Y.; Alberer, M.; Both, U. V.; Hartmann, K., Short Treatment of 42 Days with Oral GS-441524 Results in Equal Efficacy as the Recommended 84-Day Treatment in Cats Suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis with Effusion-A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study. Viruses-Basel 2024, 16, (7).
2. Helfer-Hungerbuehler A.K., Spiri A.M., Meili T, Riond B, Krentz D, Zwicklbauer K, et al. Alpha-1-Acid Glycoprotein Quantification via Spatial Proximity Analyte Reagent Capture Luminescence Assay: Application as Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker in Serum and Effusions of Cats with Feline Infectious Peritonitis Undergoing GS-441524 Therapy. Viruses-Basel. 2024;16(5).
3. Meli, M.L.; Spiri, A.M.; Zwicklbauer, K.; Krentz, D.; Felten, S.; Bergmann, M.; Dorsch, R.; Matiasek, K.; Alberer, M.; Kolberg, L.; von Both, U.; Hartmann, K.; Hofmann-Lehmann, R. Fecal Feline Coronavirus RNA Shedding and Spike Gene Mutations in Cats with Feline Infectious Peritonitis Treated with GS-441524. Viruses 2022, 14, doi:10.3390/v14051069.
4. Spiri, A.M. An Update on Feline Calicivirus. Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd 2022, 164, 225-241, doi:10.17236/sat00346.
5. Spiri, A.M.; Novacco, M.; Meli, M.L.; Stirn, M.; Riond, B.; Fogle, J.E.; Boretti, F.S.; Herbert, I.; Hosie, M.J.; Hofmann-Lehmann, R. Modified-live Feline Calicivirus Vaccination Elicits Cellular Immunity Against a Current Feline Calicivirus Field Strain in an Experimental Feline Challenge Study. Viruses 2021, 13, doi:10.3390/v13091736.
6. Spiri, A.M.; Riond, B.; Stirn, M.; Novacco, M.; Meli, M.L.; Boretti, F.S.; Herbert, I.; Hosie, M.J.; Hofmann-Lehmann, R. Modified-live Feline Calicivirus Vaccination Reduces Viral RNA Loads, Duration of RNAemia, and the Severity of Clinical Signs after Heterologous Feline Calicivirus Challenge. Viruses 2021, 13, doi:10.3390/v13081505.
7. Spiri, A.M.; Meli, M.L.; Riond, B.; Herbert, I.; Hosie, M.J.; Hofmann-Lehmann, R. Environmental Contamination and Hygienic Measures After Feline Calicivirus Field Strain Infections of Cats in a Research Facility. Viruses 2019, 11, doi:10.3390/v11100958.
8. Spiri, A.M.; Theze, J.; Meli, M.L.; Cattori, V.; Berger, A.; Steinrigl, A.; Pybus, O.G.; Hofmann-Lehmann, R.; Willi, B. Genetic diversity and phenotypic associations of feline caliciviruses from cats in Switzerland. J Gen Virol 2016, 97, 3253-3266, doi:10.1099/jgv.0.000622.
9. Sugiarto, S.; Spiri, A.M.; Riond, B.; Novacco, M.; Oestmann, A.; de Miranda, L.H.; Meli, M.L.; Boretti, F.S.; Hofmann-Lehmann, R.; Willi, B. Passive immunization does not provide protection against experimental infection with Mycoplasma haemofelis. Vet Res 2016, 47, 79, doi:10.1186/s13567-016-0361-x.
10. Helfer-Hungerbuehler, A.K.; Spiri, A.M.; Riond, B.; Grest, P.; Boretti, F.S.; Hofmann-Lehmann, R. No benefit of therapeutic vaccination in clinically healthy cats persistently infected with feline leukemia virus. Vaccine 2015, 33, 1578-1585, doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.02.009.