Abstract
Recently, a gammaherpesvirus was described in domestic cats (FcaGHV1). The goal of the present study was to investigate the presence of FcaGHV1 in Swiss domestic cats and analyze potential risk factors. Blood samples from 881 cats presented to veterinarians in all Swiss cantons and from 91 stray cats and neoplastic tissue samples from 17 cats with lymphoma were evaluated. FcaGHV1 was detected by real-time PCR targeting the glycoprotein B gene, followed by sequencing. Blood samples were also tested for feline hemoplasmas, feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The molecular prevalence of FcaGHV1 was 6.0% (95% confidence interval (CI), 4.5–7.8%) in cats presented to veterinarians and 5.5% (95% CI, 1.8–12.4%) in stray cats. FcaGHV1 PCR-positive cats originated from 19/26 Swiss cantons. Factors significantly associated with FcaGHV1 detection included male sex, age >3 years, nonpedigree status and co-infection with FIV and hemoplasmas. Moreover, FeLV viremia tended to be associated with FcaGHV1 detection. High FcaGHV1 blood loads were found more frequently in FeLV-viremic cats and less frequently in hemoplasma-infected cats than in uninfected cats. Clinical information was unavailable for most of the 881 cats, but leukemia, carcinoma and cardiomyopathy were reported in FcaGHV1-positive cats. None of the tissue samples from the 17 cats with lymphoma tested positive for FcaGHV1. Sequence analyses revealed homogeneity among the Swiss isolates and >99.7% identity to published FcaGHV1 sequences. In conclusion, FcaGHV1 is present in Switzerland with a similar prevalence in cats presented to veterinarians and in stray cats. The pathogenic potential of FcaGHV1 needs further evaluation.
Highlights
IntroductionThey belong to the Herpesviridae family, which includes three subfamilies: Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaherpesvirinae [1,2]
We investigated whether there was an association with population density; as no data are available on the cat density in each Swiss canton, we used the human density as an approximation [65], assuming that a higher number of people indicates a higher number of cats
The present study showed that both single feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and single feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection may have an effect on FcaGHV1 detection
Summary
They belong to the Herpesviridae family, which includes three subfamilies: Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaherpesvirinae [1,2]. GHVs can infect humans, establishing a lifelong persistent infection mostly without evident clinical signs [3]. Host immunity is supposed to eliminate the infection, but frequently the virus undergoes latency with potential reactivation. GHV reactivation is suspected during co-infections or when cell-mediated immunity is compromised. In the latter cases, the virus can cause severe diseases that can be potentially
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