Feline Infectious Disease

Similar to the situation with dogs, the environment is also beset with feline infectious agents. Cats that remain strictly indoors with no access to other cats are the least at risk. This chapter focuses on various feline infectious diseases, including feline panleukopenia (FPV), feline distemper, feline parvo, feline infectious enteritis, feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline AIDS, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP or FIPV), feline upper respiratory tract infections and toxoplasmosis. Panleukopenia is a highly contagious, possibly fatal disease caused by a DNA non-enveloped virus in the Parvoviridae family. This virus is seen in all felids, and although closely related to canine parvovirus, it does not cause clinical disease in canids. FeLV is caused by an enveloped RNA virus from the family Retroviridae, subfamily Oncoviridae. FIP is caused by a virus in the Coronavirus family and is highly fatal.