Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease that affects cats. It is caused by certain strains of the feline coronavirus. Most strains of this virus are found in the gastrointestinal tract and do not cause significant disease. These are referred to as feline enteric coronavirus (FeCV). Cats infected with FeCV usually do not show symptoms during the initial viral infection, but they may occasionally experience brief bouts of diarrhea and mild upper respiratory signs, from which they spontaneously recover.
In about 10% of FeCV-infected cats, mutations of the virus can alter its behavior, leading to white blood cells becoming infected with the virus and spreading it throughout the cat’s body. When this occurs, the virus is referred to as FIPV. An intense inflammatory reaction occurs around vessels in tissues where these infected cells locate, often in the abdomen, kidney, or brain. This interaction between the cat’s immune system and the virus is responsible for the development of FIP. Once a cat develops clinical FIP, the disease is usually progressive and almost always fatal without approved therapy¹.
Importantly, coronaviruses cannot be passed from infected cats to humans¹. FIP is not considered highly contagious among cats, but it can occur in multi-cat households where cats share litter boxes or other close contact²⁴. Respiratory transmission is possible but less common². To protect your cat, maintaining good hygiene and minimizing exposure to infected feces are essential precautions¹.
You can use our rapid test kit to test if your cat is infected with FIPV, https://www.ringbio.com/products/pet/feline-infectious-peritonitis-virus-rapid-test-kit
Source:
(1) Feline Infectious Peritonitis | Cornell University College of …. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-infectious-peritonitis.
(2) Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) in Cats | PetMD. https://bing.com/search?q=feline+infectious+peritonitis+virus+transmission.
(3) How Contagious Is Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)? Our … – Catster. https://www.catster.com/ask-the-vet/how-contagious-is-fip/.
(4) Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) in Cats | PetMD. https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/infectious-parasitic/c_ct_feline_infectious_peritonitis.
(5) Feline infectious peritonitis – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_infectious_peritonitis.