Diagnosis and therapy in feline calicivirosis

Abstract

Feline infectious respiratory complex may represent a major problem in cat shelters (cattery) since the disease occurs most often in young kittens, before weaning - usually around age 4 to 8 weeks, when the maternal immunity decreases. The source of infection is often the mother cat, which carries the virus and the latent infection has been reactivated during lactation. Therefore, the vaccinations of the mother-cat should be carried out prior to mating. This study was conducted during September 2013 - December 2015 and took place in the Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Iasi. The research involved a total of 94 cats which were presented to the clinic with suspicion of an infectious disease, of which 76 had respiratory infections and 18 cats were suspected for other infectious diseases. Following the physical examination and establishing the diagnosis, the cats were subjected to a local and general therapy, and according to the severity of symptoms several schemes of therapy were applied. One of the protocols included Virbagen Omega product, a recombinant omega interferon for cats. Antibiotic therapy has been used for the treatment of the secondary bacterial infections, while for viral infections, there was no specific treatment. The animals remain virus carrier and eliminator after passing through the disease. Therapy with interferon may be expensive and lengthy, without guaranteeing advantages. In the shelters with healthy cats, the immunoprophylaxis was applied, according to the schedule recommended by the manufacturer.