Viral aetiology of diarrhoea in puppies from a same shelter in Turkey: presence of mixed infections

This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of viral agents that cause enteritis in puppies. Prevalences of canine distemper virus (CDV), canine parvovirus (CPV) and canine rotavirus (CRV) were established using RT-PCR, PCR and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) techniques respectively, in faecal samples from 1 to 2-month-old diarrheic puppies (n = 34) stemming from a same shelter. Twenty-nine samples (85.3%) were found positive for at least one enteritis virus: the prevalences of CDV and CPV infections were 44.1% and 76.5% respectively while no CRV was evidenced in any sample tested. On the other hand, 12 samples (35.3%) were positive for both CDV and CPV infections. These results demonstrate that the prevalence of viral infections in diarrheic puppies is strong and also that CDV and CPV infections, which may be simultaneously present with a high rate, should not be under-estimated particularly in shelters with a high animal population

Sites of feline coronavirus persistence in healthy cats

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) is transmitted via the faecal-oral route and primarily infects enterocytes, but subsequently spreads by monocyte-associated viraemia. In some infected cats, virulent virus mutants induce feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a fatal systemic disease that can develop in association with viraemia. Persistently infected, healthy carriers are believed to be important in the epidemiology of FIP, as they represent a constant source of FCoV, shed either persistently or intermittently in faeces. So far, the sites of virus persistence have not been determined definitely. The purpose of this study was to examine virus distribution and viral load in organs and gut compartments of specified-pathogen-free cats, orally infected with non-virulent type I FCoV, over different time periods and with or without detectable viraemia. The colon was identified as the major site of FCoV persistence and probable source for recurrent shedding, but the virus was shown also to persist in several other organs, mainly in tissue macrophages. These might represent additional sources for recurrent viraemia