title: The use of quantitative PCR to detect Felis catus papillomavirus type 2 DNA from a high proportion of queens and their kittens.
abstract: Squamous cell carcinomas are common feline skin cancers that have been associated with infection with Felis catus papillomavirus type 2 (FcaPV-2). Currently, little is known about the epidemiology of FcaPV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to develop a real-time PCR assay to quantify FcaPV-2 DNA in plucked hairs and skin swabs from 11 healthy breeding queens and their kittens. Samples were taken prior to kittening and then 2, 7 and 28 days after kittening to determine the age at which the kittens were first exposed to the virus. FcaPV-2 DNA was amplified from all of the queens and from 91% of the kittens at 2 days of age. There was a wide range in the quantity of FcaPV-2 DNA detected, from 1 to 92,520 copies per swab, and from 0.01 to 234 copies per copy of reference gene DNA in the hair plucks. The quantity of FcaPV-2 DNA detected in samples collected from the kittens was strongly correlated to that of their respective queens and the mean viral DNA load was similar for cats within a household but varied significantly between households. This is the first time that quantitative PCR has been used to detect FcaPV-2 DNA and the results suggest that the virus is ubiquitous but there is a wide variation of viral DNA loads. Kittens appear to be exposed to FcaPV-2 early in life, presumably from direct contact with their queen. These results are important when determining if FcaPV-2 infection of cats is preventable.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4472, New Zealand. Electronic address: N.Thomson1@massey.ac.nz.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4472, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dunowska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4472, New Zealand.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Munday
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D002415:Cats; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000662:veterinary*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; FcaPV-2; Feline; Papillomavirus; qPCR