Where can I get a FCoV test for my Cat?
In response to the increased interest within the cat breeding and cat owning community, the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University now offers a fecal RT-PCR test for FCoV.
How does FCoV affect a multi cat household?
Continual circulation of FCoV within a cat population may increase the chance that a virulent FIP strain might emerge. While the pathogenesis of FIP is poorly understood, it is now believed that detection and removal of persistently infected and shedding cats in a multi-cat household can reduce the risk of FIP emergence within that population.
Where can you find feline infectious peritonitis ( FCoV )?
The virus is endemic in environments in which many cats are kept together in a confined space (eg, catteries, shelters, pet stores). FCoV is found less commonly in free-roaming community cats, because they do not typically use the same locations to bury their feces; shared litter boxes are a major source of transmission in multicat households.
What does FCoV RT-PCR mean for a cat?
In a cat with clinical signs consistent with FIP, FCoV RT-PCR positive results on fluids or tissues may indicate active FIP. FCoV RT-PCR positive results in tissues from a clinically normal cat are only indicative of infection with FCoV.
In response to the increased interest within the cat breeding and cat owning community, the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University now offers a fecal RT-PCR test for FCoV.
Continual circulation of FCoV within a cat population may increase the chance that a virulent FIP strain might emerge. While the pathogenesis of FIP is poorly understood, it is now believed that detection and removal of persistently infected and shedding cats in a multi-cat household can reduce the risk of FIP emergence within that population.
Are there any signs or symptoms of FCoV in cats?
Most often no clinical signs of FCoV infection are seen; mild diarrhea or respiratory signs may occur but will generally be indistinguishable from other common illnesses in feline populations. Although most cats eventually resolve their infection, some cats are chronic shedders and can shed the virus intermittently without clinical signs.
Is the feline coronavirus the same as covid-19?
Feline Coronavirus is not the same coronavirus that is the cause of COVID-19 illness in humans. For more information on COVID-19 click here. Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is one of the most common infectious causes of death in younger cats.
