Effect of topical ophthalmic application of cidofovir on experimentally induced primary ocular feline herpesvirus-1 infection in cats.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of twice-daily ophthalmic application of 0.5% cidofovir solution in cats with experimentally induced primary ocular feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) infection.


METHODS
Twelve 6-month-old sexually intact male cats.


METHODS
Cats were randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group. Ocular infection with FHV-1 was induced (day 0) in all cats via inoculation of both eyes with 10(4) plaque-forming units of a plaque-purified FHV-1 field strain. Twice daily for 10 days beginning on day 4 after virus inoculation, the treatment group received 1 drop of 0.5% cidofovir in 1% carboxymethylcellulose in both eyes, and the control group received 1 drop of 1% carboxymethylcellulose in both eyes. A standardized scoring method was used to evaluate clinical signs of FHV-1 infection in each cat once daily for 24 days. The amount of ocular viral shedding was assessed by use of a quantitative real-time PCR procedure every 3 days during the study period. Clinical scores and viral quantification were averaged over the pretreatment (days 0 to 3), treatment (days 4 to 14), and posttreatment (days 15 to 24) periods for each cat.


RESULTS
During the treatment period, clinical scores and amount of viral ocular shedding were significantly lower in the treatment group, compared with findings in the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Twice-daily application of 0.5% cidofovir solution in both eyes significantly decreased the amount of viral shedding and the severity of clinical disease in cats with experimentally induced ocular FHV-1 infection.
Fontenelle
Jennifer P
JP
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Powell
Cynthia C
CC
Veir
Julia K
JK
Radecki
Steven V
SV
Lappin
Michael R
MR
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D002415:Cats; D000077404:Cidofovir; D003236:Conjunctivitis, Viral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D003596:Cytosine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006564:Herpesviridae; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D063065:Organophosphonates; D003596:Cytosine; D000077404:Cidofovir