Feline infectious peritonitis. ABCD guidelines on prevention and management.
BACKGROUND
Feline coronavirus infection is ubiquitous in domestic cats, and is particularly common where conditions are crowded. While most FCoV-infected cats are healthy or display only a mild enteritis, some go on to develop feline infectious peritonitis, a disease that is especially common in young cats and multi-cat environments. Up to 12% of FCoV-infected cats may succumb to FIP, with stress predisposing to the development of disease.


METHODS
The 'wet' or effusive form, characterised by polyserositis (abdominal and/or thoracic effusion) and vasculitis, and the 'dry' or non-effusive form (pyogranulomatous lesions in organs) reflect clinical extremes of a continuum. The clinical picture of FIP is highly variable, depending on the distribution of the vasculitis and pyogranulomatous lesions. Fever refractory to antibiotics, lethargy, anorexia and weight loss are common non-specific signs. Ascites is the most obvious manifestation of the effusive form.


METHODS
The aetiological diagnosis of FIP ante-mortem may be difficult, if not impossible. The background of the cat, its history, the clinical signs, laboratory changes, antibody titres and effusion analysis should all be used to help in decision-making about further diagnostic procedures. At the time of writing, there is no non-invasive confirmatory test available for cats without effusion.


METHODS
In most cases FIP is fatal. Supportive treatment is aimed at suppressing the inflammatory and detrimental immune response. However, there are no controlled studies to prove any beneficial effect of corticosteroids.


CONCLUSIONS
At present, only one (intranasal) FIP vaccine is available, which is considered as being non-core. Kittens may profit from vaccination when they have not been exposed to FCoV (eg, in an early-weaning programme), particularly if they enter a FCoV-endemic environment.
Addie
Diane
D
European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD). draddie@btinternet.com
Belák
Sándor
S
Boucraut-Baralon
Corine
C
Egberink
Herman
H
Frymus
Tadeusz
T
Gruffydd-Jones
Tim
T
Hartmann
Katrin
K
Hosie
Margaret J
MJ
Lloret
Albert
A
Lutz
Hans
H
Marsilio
Fulvio
F
Pennisi
Maria Grazia
MG
Radford
Alan D
AD
Thiry
Etienne
E
Truyen
Uwe
U
Horzinek
Marian C
MC
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D016765:Coronavirus, Feline / Q000276:immunology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016766:Feline Infectious Peritonitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012952:Societies; D014481:United States; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D014765:Viral Vaccines