Feline respiratory virus carriers in clinically healthy cats.
In two surveys, feline calicivirus was cultured from 19.7% and 15% of 66 and 201 clinically healthy cats respectively. Feline viral rhinotracheitis virus was cultured also from 1.5% of oropharyngeal swabs collected in both surveys. Feline syncytial virus was isolated from 5.5% oropharyngeal swabs collected in the second survey. The use of serological examination and corticosteroid treatment to stimulate virus shedding demonstrated that 25.8% cats in the first survey were carriers of feline viral rhinotracheitis virus. In the second survey, mercapto-ethanol treatment of serum was used to differentiate recent from previous infection with feline viral rhinotracheitis virus and some 18.5% cats had FVR antibody that was resistant to treatment with mercapto-ethanol.
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016092:Spumavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral