Abstract
ObjectivesFeline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is an immune-mediated disease initiated by feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection. To date, the only proven route of transmission is the faecal–oral route, but a possible localisation of FCoV in the reproductive tract of tom cats is of concern, owing to the involvement of the male reproductive tract during FIP and to the presence of reproduction disorders in FCoV-endemic feline catteries. The aim of the study was to investigate the presence and localisation of FCoV in semen and/or in the reproductive tract of tom cats, and its possible association with seroconversion and viraemic phase.MethodsBlood, serum, semen and/or testicle samples were obtained from 46 tom cats. Serology was performed on 38 serum samples, nested reverse transcriptase PCR (nRT-PCR) and reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were performed on 39 blood samples and on 17 semen samples, and histology, immunohistochemistry and nRT-PCR were performed on 39 testicles.ResultsTwenty-four of 38 serum samples were positive on serology. Semen samples were negative on RT-PCR and RT-qPCR for FCoV, while all blood samples were negative at both molecular methods, except for one sample positive at RT-qPCR with a very low viral load. All testicles were negative at immunohistochemistry, while six were positive at nRT-PCR for FCoV. Serology and blood PCR results suggest that the virus was present in the environment, stimulating transient seroconversion. FCoV seems not to localise in the semen of tom cats, making the venereal route as a way of transmission unlikely. Although viral RNA was found in some testicles, it could not be correlated with the viraemic phase.Conclusions and relevanceIn the light of these preliminary results, artificial insemination appears safer than natural mating as it eliminates the direct contact between animals, thus diminishing the probability of faecal–oral FCoV transmission.
Highlights
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is an immune-mediated disease of young cats
It is possible that the virus localises in the reproductive tract, and that it is shed with semen, contributing to the spread of the feline coronavirus (FCoV) by coupling or by artificial insemination (AI) in breeding cats
Positive serology in cats without viral RNA in blood is, unlikely to be imputable to a low viral load in blood because samples were analysed by reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), which is a very sensitive method, and it is more likely that the results are due to the characteristics of FCoV– host interactions.[4,10,24]
Summary
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is an immune-mediated disease of young cats. The causative agent is feline coronavirus (FCoV), generated by a mutation of the widespread enteric pathotype, that gains the ability to replicate in macrophages, and spreads through infected monocytes.[1] The course of the infection depends, in part, upon the type and strength of the immune response of the host,[2,3,4] but environmental factors, such as the level of stress and overcrowding, play a role.[5] FCoV infection is very common in cats; around 40% of the domestic cat population has been infected with FCoV, and this figure. These recurrent phases of intestinal colonisation and faecal shedding of the virus may lead to a transient localisation in several organs and are followed by seroconversion and negativisation at the intestinal level.[10,11] During the viraemic phase, it is possible that the virus localises in the reproductive tract, and that it is shed with semen, contributing to the spread of the FCoV by coupling or by artificial insemination (AI) in breeding cats
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