Understanding Feline Coronavirus, Immunodeficiency, and Leukemia: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Feline coronavirus (FCoV)

FCoV Feline coronavirus is a common and easily contagious virus spread in cat feces.

The virus is transmitted through feces, inadvertently ingesting the virus after contact with infected cats, litter boxes, or land used by other cats for defecation. Cats can re-infect themselves by washing or eating after using a litter box. Up to 40% of all cats will become infected with the virus at some point in their lives, and most cat owners will not even know it.

Most cats will not show any symptoms that they are infected with FCoV, although some may have diarrhea for a few days. These cats spread the virus in their feces for several months and stay healthy. In a very small percentage of cats, the virus mutates and causes a deadly disease called FIP. True, it is estimated that only 1 in 10 cats infected with FCoV will develop FIP.

Outside, the virus can survive for a few hours, at most a few days, but indoors, in a dry litter, it can survive for up to 7 weeks. It is easily killed by most disinfectants.

There is no universal drug for FIP. Until recently, the disease meant assured death. However, the now discovered and used feline omega interferon helps about a third of treated cats to fully recover. There is unfortunately no vaccine against FCoV or FIP.

If you know your cat has FCoV, stress should be kept to a minimum as this can help minimize the risk of FIP. Avoid large numbers of animals in a small area, sheltering a new animal, placing a cat in a shelter, or the like. Also avoid many minor stress events occurring simultaneously or at short intervals (e.g., pruning, vaccination, and sterilization within one month).

It is helpful to remove cat feces from the box as soon as it is emptied and keep food containers as far away from the cat litter box as possible. It is important to thoroughly wash and disinfect the cat litter box at least twice a week.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

Feline Immunodeficiency virus is similar to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but FIV does not infect humans. It is only dangerous for other cats.

The virus is found in the blood, saliva and other body fluids of infected cats, is very sensitive and only survives outside the cat’s body for a very short time. For example, it is impossible to pass it from one cat to another through human hands or clothing. It is usually transmitted to cats during combat, and can be transmitted to infected cat kittens. A cat that acquires this virus will remain infected for the rest of its life.

Many infected cats live long years of normal life and die from causes unrelated to FIV at all before the virus begins to cause problems.

Signs of FIV are varied, but most often manifest a weakened immune system, vulnerability to other infections. When the disease develops, the cat may periodically develop runny nose, gum problems, skin diseases, indigestion. A pet may look passive, have a high temperature, may suddenly start to lose weight or develop tumors.

Veterinarians can quickly perform a test to determine the level of antibodies to this disease in the blood. There is currently no reliable treatment for FIV and it is not possible to predict when signs of the disease may appear.

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)

FeLV Feline Leukemia virus is a virus that causes a deadly disease in cats that affects the immune system. This disease is characterized by immunosuppression, which makes the animal more vulnerable to other infections, anemia or tumors. About 80% of cats diagnosed with FeLV die within 3.5 years.

The virus is usually transmitted through direct contact with an infected cat (i.e., through saliva), usually when fighting cats, washing or biting another cat. The disease can also be transmitted from mother to cat to their kittens while they are in the womb, or through milk.

Some cats can eradicate the infection and recover after a few weeks, even if the test was positive before. These cats are likely to acquire a certain level of immunity that would help in the event of a subsequent infection.

Cats can experience many different signs: recurrent infections, diseased appearance, high fever, enlarged lymph nodes, e.g. about the throat, armpits, groin or knees, anemia, slow healing during infections, difficulties during breeding. Veterinarians quickly and effortlessly perform a test to detect the virus in a cat’s blood.

Unfortunately, there is currently no reliable treatment for FeLV, so veterinarians apply symptomatic treatment tailored to the individual cat, depending on what symptoms it develops.

Keeping infected cats at home without letting them out and ensuring that the cat has been vaccinated against major infections will help protect the cats from other infections and prevent the further spread of FeLV.