Open AccessThe Role of Viruses in Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease
Author(s) -
Kruger John M.,
Osborne Carl A.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1990.tb03106.x
Subject(s) - feline calicivirus , cats , virology , urinary system , medicine , virus , disease , pathology
Viruses have been implicated as causative agents in the etiopathogenesis ofsome forms of feline lower urinary tract disease (LUTD). This hypothesis was supported by isolation of feline calicivirus, bovine herpesvirus 4 (strain FeCAHV), and feline syncytia‐forming virus from cats with naturally occurring LUTD, and by experimental studies of induced viral urinary tract infection. Results ofearly clinical studies yielded contradictory results concerning the role of viruses in feline LUTD. However, recent detection of bovine herpesvirus 4 antibodies in feline serum samples and discovery of calicivirus‐iike particles in crystalline/matrix urethral plugs obtained from cats with naturally occurring LUTD, suggests the need to reexamine the etiopathologic role of viruses using contemporary methods of virus identification and localization.