title: Pilot study to evaluate the effect of oral supplementation of Enterococcus faecium SF68 on cats with latent feline herpesvirus 1.
abstract: Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) infection is extremely common in cats and is frequently associated with morbidity because of recurrent ocular and respiratory clinical signs of disease. Enterococcus faecium strain SF68 is an immune-enhancing probiotic used as a dietary supplement. In this pilot study, 12 cats with chronic FHV-1 infection were administered either SF68 or a placebo, monitored for clinical signs of disease, monitored for FHV-1 shedding, and evaluated for FHV-1 specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and fecal microbiome stability. Fecal microbial diversity was maintained throughout the study in cats supplemented with SF68, but decreased in cats fed the placebo, indicating a more stable microbiome in cats fed SF68. While clinical results varied among individual cats, the overall findings suggest that administration of the probiotic lessened morbidity associated with chronic FHV-1 infection in some cats. Additional study is warranted to determine efficacy in a clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 300 West Drake Road, Ft Collins, CO 80523, United States. mlappin@mail.colostate.edu <mlappin@mail.colostate.edu>
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lappin
authors.forename: Julia K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Veir
authors.forename: Ebenezer
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Satyaraj
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Czarnecki-Maulden
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy*; D002415:Cats; D003236:Conjunctivitis, Viral / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D004586:Electrophoresis / Q000662:veterinary; D016984:Enterococcus faecium; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms