New feline coronavirus blamed for thousands of cat deaths in Cyprus

When thousands of cats started to die this year on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, nicknamed the “island of cats” for its 1-million-strong feline population, the crisis made international news. The animals had fevers, swollen bellies, and lethargy—symptoms that pointed to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a common condition caused by a type of cat coronavirus. But scientists struggled to explain the apparent explosion in cases. Now, researchers have identified a possible culprit: a new strain of feline coronavirus that has coopted key RNA sequences from a highly virulent dog pathogen called pantropic canine coronavirus (pCCoV). The findings, posted as a preprint last week on bioRxiv , could help explain how severe illness managed to spread so widely among cats on the island. “ They ’ ve done a great job in identifying what looks to be a very interesting and concerning virus, ” says Gary Whittaker, a virologist at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine who was not involved in the research. Although canine-feline coronavirus crossovers have been reported before, he says, this is the first documented case of a cat coronavirus combining with pCCoV, apparently leading to a “ perfect storm of both disease and transmissibility. ” Veterinarians in Cyprus raised the alarm early this year about increased cases of FIP, which is not rela...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research