Carrier-state infection of feline T-lymphoblastoid cells with feline calicivirus

The susceptibility of feline T lymphocytes to feline calicivirus (FCV) in vitro was investigated using feline T-lymphoblastoid cell lines, namely MYA-1 and FL74 cells. The virus titers of supernatants in FCV-infected MYA-1 and FL74 cell cultures increased rapidly, and FCV antigens were also detected in the FCV-infected cells. There were slight differences in the molecular weights of capsid proteins expressed in FCV-infected MYA-1, FL74 and Crandell feline kidney cells. MYA-1 and FL74 cells were productively and persistently infected with FCV, and FCV antigens were observed in the FCV-infected cells for more than one month. At 3 months post infection, FCV-infected FL74 cells that stopped producing infectious FCV could be reinfected with FCV. However, no cytopathic effects were observed.     

猫杯状病毒的分子生物学

猫杯状病毒（FCV）是猫的上呼吸道感染、口腔水疱性疾病及慢性胃炎等疾病的重要病原。该病毒具有典型的杯状病毒结构。其基因组为单股正链含polyA的RNA，全长约7．6kb，编码3个开放读码框（ORFs)。其中ORF1约5．3kb，编码1763个氨基酸（aa)的非结构蛋白；ORF2长约2．1kb，编码671aa的结构蛋白，ORF3位于基因组3‘末端，长320bp，编码106aa的蛋白。该病毒结构蛋白分子量为58－76kDa，分为6个区，各区具有特殊功能。非结构蛋白包括3C多肽，3C半胱氨酸蛋白酶和3DRNA依赖的RNA聚合酶样区等结构。FCV的基因工程疫苗研究已有一定的进并取得了相应的应用价值。FCV分子生物学的研究有助于研究该病毒的毒力和致病机理以及新型疫苗的研制。     

Molecular virology of feline calicivirus.

Caliciviridae are small, nonenveloped, positive-stranded RNA viruses. Much of our understanding of the molecular biology of the caliciviruses has come from the study of the naturally occurring animal caliciviruses. In particular, many studies have focused on the molecular virology of feline calicivirus (FCV), which reflects its importance as a natural pathogen of cats. FCVs demonstrate a remarkable capacity for high genetic, antigenic, and clinical diversity; "outbreak" vaccine resistant strains occur frequently. This article updates the reader on the current status of clinical behavior and pathogenesis of FCV.     

猫杯状病毒不同分离株致病性的比较

为确定猫杯状病毒(Feline calicivirus,FCV)SH、JL-1、JL-2分离株毒力强弱,将其分别人工接种6~11周龄健康非免疫家猫,分成接种组和对照组。接种前后分别测定各组猫体温、体质量,观察发病情况及临床症状,按照欧洲药典对症状进行计分。于感染后14d麻醉处死,制备病料组织切片,观察组织器官的病理变化。结果显示,家猫感染FCV后总发病率为100%,死亡率为66.7%;SH、JL-1、JL-2组临床症状平均得分分别为8、4、9,对照组得分为1。病理解剖观察发现,猫感染FCV后,以鼻、眼分泌物增加,口腔溃疡为特征,消化道病变较轻微,肺部出现不同程度的变性、出血,呈明显病理性肉样变;病理组织学观察发现,肺脏有数量不等的肺泡上皮细胞和巨噬细胞脱落,伴随少量纤维蛋白渗出和弥漫性肺泡损伤。结果表明,FCV SH、JL-1、JL-2分离株均有一定的致病性,其中以JL-2株的毒力最强。     

Immunization against feline calicivirus infection.

Forty-three cats (experiments 1 and 2) were vaccinated (2 doses, 27 and 30 days between doses) with the F-9 strain of feline calicivirus by the intramuscular route. There was no untoward response in any of the cats to the administration of the vaccinal virus nor was there spread of the virus from 20 vaccinated cats to nonvaccinated cats held in contact during the next 6 months (experiment 2). The vaccinated cats developed serum-neutralizing antibodies that were increased further after the 2nd vaccination. The level of serum-neutralizing antibodies was related to the quantity of vaccinal virus administered. Twenty-three cats vaccinated with the F-9 strain were protected to a significant degree when challenge exposed to virulent calicivirus strain FPV-255 (experiment 1).     

猫杯状病毒分子致病机制的研究进展

猫杯状病毒(Feline calicivirus,FCV)是引起猫科动物的一种急性、高度接触性传染病的病原,严重危害猫科动物的健康。本文从FCV的主要蛋白及其功能、病毒的复制与细胞的相互作用、病毒受体、病毒致细胞凋亡作用等方面综述了FCV分子致病机制的研究进展,以期为FCV的分子生物学特性、遗传与变异规律、新型疫苗的研发及抗病毒药物的筛选提供参考。     

Characterization of the subunit particles of feline calicivirus

In the culture fluid from cells infected with feline calicivirus (FCV) F4 strain, the infectious and smaller non-infectious subunit particles were detected by complement fixation (CF) test after sucrose gradient centrifugation. The results of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analyses confirmed the existence of the subunit particles of FCV, and showed that the infectious and subunit particles were mainly composed of 65K capsid protein. The subunit particles were further purified by ion-exchange chromatography and sucrose gradient centrifugation. The purified subunit and infectious particles had the same neutralizing epitope on 65K protein detected by immunoblot analysis with a neutralizing monoclonal antibody. Antigenic comparison between the infectious and subunit particles by the CF tests using an antiserum against heterologous strain of FCV F14 indicated that the subunit particles might have more highly conserved antigens of FCV than the infectious particles.     

6例猫杯状病毒病例的诊断及治疗

上海市某宠物店15只猫中有6只患猫出现呼吸道症状.经临床检查发现,6只患猫体温、呼吸、心率都正常;1#、2#、3#、5#和6#患猫血常规检测正常,4#患猫血常规显示有轻度脱水.对6只患猫的样品进行猫杯状病毒核酸检测和基因测序,结果均为猫杯状病毒阳性.对6只患猫进行抗菌、点眼、清洁口腔等治疗,患猫均在10～14 d内恢复...     

Isolation of feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus from domestic cats 1980 to 1989

Isolation rates of feline herpesvirus (FHV) and feline calicivirus (FCV) from oropharyngeal swabs, taken from 6866 cats in 1980 to 1989 were studied retrospectively. FCV was isolated from 1364 (19.9 per cent) and FHV from 285 (4.2 per cent). The ratio of FCV:FHV isolations varied from 1.3:1 to 15:1 in individual years with an overall ratio of 4.8:1. Isolation of both viruses was fairly uniform for each year and there was no breed or sex disposition to either virus. Of 872 cats shedding FCV and 213 cats shedding FHV, of known age, 447 (51.3 per cent) with FCV and 140 (65.7 per cent) with FHV were under one year old, compared to only 35.3 per cent of the whole population sampled. For the years 1985 to 1989, more information was obtained about the cases. Of 4626 cats tested, 1180 (25.5 per cent) had acute upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) of which 348 (29.5 per cent) were shedding FCV and 162 (13.7 per cent) FHV. A further 597 had chronic URTD and of these, 102 (17.1 per cent) were shedding FCV and 18 (3 per cent) FHV. In 120 cases of suspected vaccine reaction/breakdown, FCV was isolated from 34 (28.3 per cent) and FHV from only two (1.7 per cent). FHV was not isolated from any of 412 cases presenting with chronic gingivitis/stomatitis alone; 181 (43.9 per cent) were shedding FCV and when cats with other signs in addition to chronic gingivitis were included, this proportion increased to 70.4 per cent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Update on feline calicivirus: new trends.

In addition to being important upper respiratory tract pathogens of cats, FCVs are increasingly reported as a cause of a highly contagious febrile hemorrhagic syndrome. Strains causing this syndrome are genetically different from the vaccine strain and other nonhemorrhagic FCV isolates. They apparently differ from one outbreak to another. The syndrome is characterized variably by fever; cutaneous edema and ulcerative dermatitis; upper respiratory tract signs; anorexia; occasionally icterus, vomiting, and diarrhea; and a mortality that approaches 50%. Adult cats tend to be more severely affected than kittens, and vaccination does not appear to have a significant protective effect. Rapid recognition of the disease through identification of clinical signs and appropriate testing, followed by strict institution of disinfection, isolation, and quarantine measures, are essential to prevent widespread mortality resulting from the infection.     

Transfer and decline of maternal antibody to feline calicivirus

Twelve kittens born to four queens immune to feline calicivirus acquired maternal serum neutralizing antibody to feline calicivirus primarily via the colostrum. At one week of age, their titres approached or equalled those of their dams. In the absence of feline calicivirus infection, titres of maternal antibody declined to undetected levels between ten and 14 weeks of age. The half-life of maternal antibody was approximately 15 days.     

The preparation of a polyvalent feline calicivirus antiserum.

A polyvalent antiserum capable of neutralizing 82 isolates of feline calicivirus made from cats in various parts of North America was produced by the sequential inoculation of SPF cats at three-week intervals with feline calicivirus strains F-9, 68-2024 and FS, followed by a final booster inoculation two weeks after the third inoculation with all three strains combined. Sera raised against the same strains but individually and then pooled failed to show such broad cross-neutralizing capacity. The polyvalent serum should prove useful for the confirmation of an isolation of feline calicivirus.     

Antigenic change in feline calicivirus during persistent infection.

To determine if antigenic variation occurred during persistent infection of cats with feline caliciviruses (FCV), nine persistent (progeny) isolates from nine different carrier cats were compared antigenically to the original infecting parent strain, FCV 255, by two-way cross-neutralization tests with rabbit antisera. Five of the nine progeny viruses isolated 35 to 169 days after initial infection were antigenically different from the parent strain. These five isolates represented four distinct antigenic phenotypes. The emergence of four distinctly different antigenic variants from a single parent strain indicates that FCV, like many other RNA viruses, exhibits considerable antigenic heterogeneity during replication in its natural host, and supports the hypothesis that antigenic variation contributes to chronic FCV infection.     

Evaluation of a feline viral rhinotracheitis-feline calicivirus disease vaccine.

An attenuated respiratory disease vaccine against feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) and feline calicivirus (FCV) disease was evaluated for safety and efficacy in specific-pathogen-free cats. Twenty cats were vaccinated twice intramuscularly, with 28 days between vaccinations. Ten unvaccinated cats were used as contact controls. Adverse effects were not noticed after vaccination, and the vaccinal virus did not spread to contact controls. Arithmetical mean serum-neutralizing titers against vaccinal FCV strain F9 and challenge FCV strain 255 were 1:13 and 1:15 at 28 days after the 1st inoculation. These titers increased to 1:45 and 1:196 after the 2nd inoculation. After challenge exposure of vaccinated cats to virulent FCV 255 virus, mean titers increased to 1:129 and 1:865, respectively for F9 and 255 viruses. The F9 postchallenge mean titer for vaccinated cats was 21.5 times higher than that for the 8 contact controls that survived challenge exposure. The arithmetical mean serum neutralizing titer for FVR was low (1:2) after the 1st vaccination, but increased to 1:35 after the 2nd vaccination. Challenge exposure to virulent FVR virus resulted in a marked anamnestic immune response (mean titer of 1:207, compared with 1:12 for contact controls). In general, vaccinated cats remained alert and healthy after challenge exposure with FCV-255, whereas unvaccinated contact control cats developed definite signs of FCV disease, including central nervous system (CNS) depression (6 of 10) and dyspnea indicative of pneumonia (5 of 10). Two controls died of severe pneumonia. A mild fibrile response was detected in 28% of vaccinated cats, compared with a more severe febrile response in 78% of control cats. Some vaccinated cats developed minute lingual ulcers that did not appear to be detrimental to the health of the cat. After FVR challenge exposure, vaccinated cats were free of serious clinical signs. Five of 18 vaccinated cats had mild signs of FVR, including an occasional sneeze, low temperature, and mild serous lacrimation for 1 or 2 days. Contact controls developed definite clinical signs of FVR. The combined FVR-FCV vaccine appears to be safe and reasonably efficacious. Vaccination against FCV disease and FVR should be part of the routine feline immunization program.     

The challenge for the next generation of feline calicivirus vaccines

Feline calicivirus (FCV) has been shown to evolve within individual cats and in the environment of colonies. This evolution and the diversity it creates has important clinical implications, not only for the disease in cats, but also for attempts to control disease by vaccination. Generally speaking, existing vaccines appear to be very effective at controlling the majority of clinical disease. However, some concerns remain including a failure to induce sterilising immunity, occasional vaccine breakdowns, and for live vaccines, occasional vaccine-induced disease. Key areas for future vaccine development include monitoring and broadening the cross-reactivity of vaccine immunity to field viruses, especially the recently evolved highly virulent strains, and attempting to reduce/eliminate field virus shedding by vaccinated cats.     

Isolation of feline herpesvirus-1 and feline calicivirus from healthy cats in Swedish breeding catteries

Feline calicivirus (FCV) could be isolated from four cats (2.6%) and feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV) from none of 152 clinically healthy cats from 22 Swedish breeding catteries. These cats had all previously shown signs of respiratory tract disease or conjunctivitis, although several years ago. The results suggest that carriers of FCV and FHV were uncommon in Swedish breeding catteries studied. Prevalence rates in other European countries and North America are usually higher, especially of FCV. The lower prevalence rates in our study might be explained by test group selection, differences in factors such as management, environment, or genetic constitution of the cats, or by sample handling. It was concluded that the presence of an FCV shedder in the cattery does not mean that all cats in the group are infected, but special measures are recommended to avoid infection of susceptible cats.