Feline upper respiratory tract infection and disease in Australia

• Published in: Journal of feline medicine and surgery 2019-10, Vol.21 (10), p.973-978
• Main Authors: Nguyen, Dalton, Barrs, Vanessa R, Kelman, Mark, Ward, Michael P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Australia; Caliciviridae - isolation & purification; Caliciviridae Infections - veterinary; Calicivirus, Feline - isolation & purification; Cat Diseases - epidemiology; Cat Diseases - microbiology; Cats; Chlamydophila - isolation & purification; Herpesviridae - isolation & purification; Herpesviridae Infections - veterinary; Original; Picornaviridae Infections - veterinary; Respiratory Tract Infections - microbiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - veterinary; Risk Factors; Varicellovirus - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 1098-612X; 1532-2750
• DOI: 10.1177/1098612X18813248

Objectives The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of feline infectious upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and disease (URTD) in Australian cats. Methods Laboratory data demonstrating URTI from feline URTD multiplex PCR panel (feline herpesvirus 1 [FHV-1], feline calicivirus [FCV], Bordetella bronchiseptica, Chlamydophila felis, Mycoplasma felis and H1N1 influenza) submissions in Australia (2013–2015) were obtained. For comparison, reports of feline URTD during the same time period were sourced from a voluntary companion animal disease surveillance system. Results A total of 3126 samples were submitted for testing; 1533 (49%) were positive. Of these, the most commonly detected agents were M felis (21.5%) and FCV (16.0%) alone, followed by FCV and M felis (13.4%) together as a respiratory infection complex, then FHV-1 (7.0%) alone. During the study period, there were 262 reports of 320 clinical feline URTD cases. Most cases (69%) were reported from New South Wales,