title: Descriptive epidemiology of upper respiratory disease and associated risk factors in cats in an animal shelter in coastal western Canada.
abstract: We examined 250 cats at an animal shelter in the coastal temperate region of Canada to determine whether age, source, gender, and sterilization status influenced risk of shedding at intake, transmission of infection, and development of clinical upper respiratory disease (URD). On admission, 28% of the cats were positive for 1 or more infectious agent related to URD; 21% were carriers of Mycoplasma felis and < 3% were carriers of feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) or Bordetella bronchiseptica. Chlamydophila felis and H1N1 influenza virus were not detected. Carrier status was not affected by source, gender, sterilization status, or age (P > 0.05). Viral and bacterial shedding increased by 9% and 11%, respectively, over 3 sampling times (days 1, 4, and 10). Over 40 days after admission, the cumulative probability of developing URD was 2.2 times greater for stray than owner-surrendered cats (P = 0.02) and 0.5 times as great for neutered cats as for intact cats (P = 0.03). Cats that were shedding at intake were 2.6 times more likely to develop URD than were non-carriers (P < 0.002). Cats with FHV-1 and B. bronchiseptica infections were most at risk compared with non-shedding cats (P < 0.01).
authors.affiliation: Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Queensland 4343, Australia. ngourkow@telus.net
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gourkow
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: Sara C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hamon
authors.forename: Clive J C
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D012307:Risk Factors
references.citation: Vet J. 2014 Aug;201(2):196-201
references.pmid: 24923756
references.citation: Vet Res. 2007 Mar-Apr;38(2):337-54
references.pmid: 17296160
references.citation: Vet Rec. 1977 Feb 12;100(7):128-33
references.pmid: 191978
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2005 Apr;7(2):109-19
references.pmid: 15771947
references.citation: New Microbiol. 2007 Oct;30(4):455-61
references.pmid: 18080682
references.citation: Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2011 Nov;41(6):1273-89
references.pmid: 22041216
references.citation: Vet Microbiol. 1996 Jan;48(1-2):19-27
references.pmid: 8701574
references.citation: Prev Vet Med. 2008 Nov 17;87(3-4):327-39
references.pmid: 18639946
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2009 Oct;11(10):816-25
references.pmid: 19782625
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2010 Oct;12(10):775-82
references.pmid: 20817584
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2009 Jul;11(7):605-9
references.pmid: 19481040
references.citation: Prev Vet Med. 2011 Sep 1;101(3-4):250-64
references.pmid: 21705099
references.citation: Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Mar;16(3):534-7
references.pmid: 20202440
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2004 Apr;6(2):83-8
references.pmid: 15123152
references.citation: Vet Microbiol. 2006 Nov 26;118(1-2):12-25
references.pmid: 16911860
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2010 Oct;12(10):783-9
references.pmid: 20851008
references.citation: J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2008 Dec 1;233(11):1715-22
references.pmid: 19046028
references.citation: Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Nov;16(11):1745-7
references.pmid: 21029533
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2000 Sep;2(3):123-33
references.pmid: 11716607
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2008 Dec;10(6):542-50
references.pmid: 18539493
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2008 Dec;10(6):551-7
references.pmid: 18539065
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Jul;49(7):2454-60
references.pmid: 21562109
references.citation: Prev Vet Med. 2011 Aug 1;101(1-2):107-12
references.pmid: 21621287
references.citation: Vet Rec. 2005 May 21;156(21):669-73
references.pmid: 15908495
references.citation: Vet Rec. 1994 Dec 3;135(23):555-6
references.pmid: 7886890
references.citation: Can Vet J. 2010 Jan;51(1):56-62
references.pmid: 20357942
references.citation: Vet Rec. 1999 May 22;144(21):575-80
references.pmid: 10378288
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2009 Jul;11(7):610-4
references.pmid: 19481041
references.citation: Am J Vet Res. 2003 Jan;64(1):37-42
references.pmid: 12518876
references.citation: J Feline Med Surg. 2009 Dec;11(12):1023-7
references.pmid: 19577497