Quantitative analysis of viral load in feline coronavirus for determining the status of asymptomatic animals in the community and for the diagnosis of PIF.
For more information regarding the SARS-CoV2 (Covid-19)
Test indications
- Evaluation of viral excretion and contagiousness of cats in the community.
Determination of breeding status in breeding.
Detection of chronic carriers (rectal swab analyses). - Diagnosis of FIP in cats with clinical signs consistent with dry or wet FIP. Confirmation of anatomo-pathological examinations.
Test characteristics
- Real-time RT-PCR
- Detection threshold
- Quantitative analysis viral load for determining the status of asymptomatic carrier animals
- The test does not distinguish enteric coronaviruses from FIP coronaviruses. The choice of sample to analyze is therefore very important so that the result is interpretable and informative.
- The test has been optimized so as not to detect the virus in the blood of asymptomatic animals (diagnostic specificity of the test of 96%) [evaluation on 100 asymptomatic cats carrying enteric coronavirus].
In cats with dry FIP, the sensitivity of the blood sample test is 94%. In cats with wet FIP, the sensitivity of the abdominal effusion fluid test is 100%.
Samples to be taken
- Asymptomatic animals: rectal swab (IS).
This sample is not suitable for the diagnosis of FIP.
Please note that carrier animals will not be detected if the analysis is carried out on a blood sample. - Dry forms of FIP: CSF (nervous forms), aqueous humor, biopsies renal or hepatic, sang EDTA (possibly blood and ER to carry out a double analysis in young kittens). The blood sample must be taken at the time of peaks of hyperthermia.
Digestive forms: Mesenteric lymph node
Ocular forms (isolated uveitis): Watery humor
Post-mortem: organs with lesions (kidney, liver, lung, etc.). - Wet forms of FIP: fluid from abdominal or thoracic effusion on EDTA tube. Sensitivity is greater on abdominal effusions.
Interpretation of the result
- Rectal swab analysis (asymptomatic animal)
- Negative result : absence of virus or quantity below the detection threshold
- Low or very low viral load : the animal is probably not a chronic carrier, it can eliminate the virus and is not very contagious.
- Medium, high and very high viral load : the animal carries coronavirus and may be a chronic carrier (to be verified on a second determination a few weeks later for adult cats, particularly breeding cats). These animals must be isolated because they are contagious. In a kitten, high viral loads are common but most of these animals will shed the virus if isolated from shedding animals. Some may eventually experience diarrhea.
- Suspicion of FIP - EDTA blood test : animals affected by FIP are viremic at the time of peaks of hyperthermia. A negative result on a blood sample does not allow FIP to be ruled out with certainty, particularly early in the course (sensitivity of the Scanelis test of 94%). A positive result is very supportive of a FIP. However, some asymptomatic animals can be positive in the blood for a few weeks after a primary infection with enteric coronaviruses; unlike sick animals, their rectal viral load is very high. This is why on animals (especially young kittens) which may have been recently infected, it is recommended to carry out a double blood/ER analysis. If the blood is positive and the rectal load is very high, it is possible that it is a recent infection by enteric coronaviruses; the hypothesis of FIP is unlikely but cannot be ruled out in a young kitten.
- Suspicion of FIP - other specimens : the presence of coronavirus in the CSF or aqueous humor helps confirm the diagnosis. In the case of isolated uveitis, it is possible to find the virus in the aqueous humor without the animal developing FIP. In effusion fluids, and especially in organs, only significant viral loads can be interpreted. If the quantity of virus is very low in the organs, the PIF hypothesis is unlikely and we will indicate this to you on the analysis report.
Due to the complexity of FIP and the particularities of our test, do not hesitate to Contact Us for the choice of samples and assistance in interpreting the results.
