Do all cats carry feline coronavirus?

No, not all cats carry feline coronavirus (FCoV).

FCoV is a common viral infection in cats, but it usually causes mild or no symptoms. However, in rare cases, it can mutate and cause a serious and often fatal disease called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).

The prevalence of FCoV infection varies depending on the environment and the number of cats. It is estimated that 25–40% of household pet cats have been infected with FCoV, but the infection rate increases to 80 – 100 per cent for cats kept in multi-cat households or colonies. Some cats are resistant to the virus and can avoid infection or even becoming carriers, while others may become FCoV carriers and shed the virus in their feces.

FCoV carriers may heal spontaneously, but some cats may develop a persistent infection. These cats are generally asymptomatic, but they can infect other cats in the same environment. Continual circulation of FCoV within a cat population may increase the chance that a virulent FIP strain might emerge.

Therefore, not all cats carry FCoV, and most cats that are infected do not develop FIP. However, FCoV infection is extremely widespread in cats, especially where large numbers of cats are kept together. To reduce the risk of FIP, it is recommended to isolate FCoV carriers from other cats and to prevent their introduction to a resident population.

Here are our products for testing for feline coronavirus, https://www.ringbio.com/products/pet/feline-coronavirus-antigen-test-card-rapid-test-kit

Source:
(1) Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) and Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). https://healthtopics.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/feline-coronavirus-fcov-and-feline-infectious-peritonitis-fip.
(2) Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) (feline coronavirus) – icatcare.org. https://icatcare.org/advice/feline-infectious-peritonitis-fip/.
(3) Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) RT-PCR | Cornell University College of …. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/animal-health-diagnostic-center/veterinary-support/disease-information/feline-coronavirus.
(4) Feline coronavirus – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_coronavirus.
(5) Frontiers | Frequent Infection of Cats With SARS-CoV-2 Irrespective of …. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.857322/full.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *