What is the Corona virus for cats

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease in cats that leads to high mortality due to its characteristic aggressiveness and lack of response to fever, along with other complications. This disease is comparatively high in the homes of multiple cats compared to those with only one cat. It is difficult to diagnose, control and prevent, and in cases of outbreaks within hatcheries and kennels, it can result in a high number of deaths. In most cases it is transmitted through the inhalation of pollutants in the air and infected feces, but the virus can also be transmitted by humans who have come into contact with the virus or can remain active on surfaces that have been contaminated.

This disease exploits weakened and immature immune systems, which spread through white blood cells as they move throughout the body. The highest incidence is found in kittens from three months to three years of age, with an incidence that decreases drastically after cats reach three years of age, when the immune system is stronger. Similarly, older cats with weakened immune systems are also more likely to acquire this disease.

SYMPTOMS AND TYPES

The symptoms of FIP vary according to the strain of virus involved, the state of the immune system of the cat and the affected organs. Two forms are reported, including the wet form (effusive form), which is directed to the body cavities, and the dry form (non-effusive), which is directed to the various organs. The wet form tends to progress more quickly than the dry form. In any case, the body condition suffers, with the hair layer becoming increasingly harsh and boring, and the cat increasingly lethargic and depressed.

Wet / effusive

Persistent and insensitive fever

Lack of appetite

Weight loss (gradual)

Little appetite

Diarrhea

Gradual swelling of the abdomen (belly appearance)

Accumulation of fluid in the thoracic cavity

Difficult breathing

Sneezing, runny nose

Lethargy

Dry / Non-effusive

Poor growth in kittens

Anemia

Jaundice

Diarrhea

Fever

Depression

Inflammation of various parts of the eye

Neurological symptoms (eg, loss of ability to coordinate movements, loss of vision)

CAUSES

FIP usually follows the infection of a feline coronavirus, which typically does not cause any external symptoms. It is assumed that there are some types of coronaviruses that are transformed into feline infectious peritonitis, either by themselves or as a result of a defect in the cat's immune response. Also complicating the matter is that a coronavirus can remain inactive in a cat's body for months before mutating to FIP. The FIP virus then infects white blood cells and uses them as a means of transport to invade the entire body.

DIAGNOSIS

This disease is historically difficult to diagnose because FIP can simulate other diseases. This is especially true in the dry form. There is not a single laboratory test available that can point decisively to FIP, but your veterinarian can make a presumptive diagnosis based on laboratory findings. A complete blood count can show changes in the number of white blood cells (white blood cells), and this will indicate that an infection is present, but it may not be clear what infection is present. While an ELISA or IFA test will show the presence of coronavirus antibodies, it can not distinguish the type of coronavirus, even if it is the cause of the condition of the cats, only that your cat has been in contact with the virus and has developed antibodies the. The level of antibodies is not a predictor of your cat's susceptibility to developing the disease.

There are also few changes in the biochemical profile tests. Your cat's veterinarian can use more specific tests, including a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which can differentiate single DNA from FIP, but again, this only shows that the virus is a coronavirus, not what kind is it?

Your pet's veterinarian can take a sample of fluid from the abdominal or thoracic cavity for further evaluation. In some difficult cases to diagnose, abdominal surgery may be necessary for diagnosis. For the most part, veterinarians base their conclusions on a differential diagnostic process, whereby the veterinarian is guided by a deeper inspection of external symptoms, discarding all other diseases since the conditions are not met, and all the symptoms They point to a specific disease more than others.