Summary
Minimal-disease (MD) cats raised in a barrier-maintained feline breeding colony routinely become coronavirus (CV) antibody-positive at 5–8 weeks of age and remain seropositive indefinitely. In addition, they shed coronavirus-like particles (CVLPs) in their feces which are morphologically distinct from “typical” coronaviruses. Oronasal, intraperitoneal, intraduodenal, and intravenous inoculations of CVLPs were uniformly unsuccessful in the seroconversion of cats to CV, whereas subsequent prolonged close contact with colony cats did result in seroconversion. Such evidence indicates that MD cats in this barrier colony are infected with at least two non-cross-reactive agents: (1) feline enteric CVLPs, which are shed in feces and are morphologically and antigenically distinct from established coronaviruses (CVs), and (2) a virus which is antigenically cross-reactive with CVs, but which is apparently shed by some route other than the lower gastrointestinal tract.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Barlough, J. E., Jacobson, R. H., Downing, D. R., Marcella, K. L., Lynch, T. J., Scott, F. W.: Evaluation of a computer-assisted, kinetics-based enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay for detection of coronaviral antibodies in cats. J. clin. Microbiol.17, 202–217 (1983).
Bohl, E. H.: Coronaviruses: Diagnosis of infections. In:Kurstak, E., Kurstak, C. (eds.), Comparative Diagnosis of Viral Diseases, Vol. IV, Part B, 301–328. New York: Academic Press 1981.
Caul, E. O., Egglestone, S. I.: Further studies on human enteric coronaviruses. Arch. Virol.54, 107–117 (1977).
Caul, E. O., Egglestone, S. I.: Coronavirus-like particles present in simian faeces. Vet. Rec.104, 168–169 (1979).
Dea, S., Roy, R. S., Elazhary, M. A. S. Y.: Coronavirus-like particles in the feces of a cat with diarrhea. Can. vet. J.23, 153–155 (1982).
Eugster, A. K., Liauw, H.: Detection of antibodies to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus in cats using transmissible gastroenteritis virus as antigen and an electronmicroscopic search for FIP virus. Southwestern Vet.32, 109–112 (1979).
Hayashi, T., Watabe, Y., Nakayama, H., Fujiwara, K.: Enteritis due to feline infectious virus peritonitis. Jpn. J. vet. Sci.44, 97–106 (1982).
Horzinek, M. C., Lutz, H., Pedersen, N. C.: Antigenic relationships among homologous structural polypeptides of porcine, feline, and canine coronaviruses. Infect. Immun.37, 1148–1155 (1982).
Horzinek, M. C., Osterhaus, A. D. M. E., Ellens, D. J.: Feline infectious peritonitis virus. Zbl. Vet. Med. B.24, 398–405 (1977).
Hoshino, Y., Baldwin, C. A., Scott, F. W.: New insights in gastrointenstinal viruses. Cor. Fel. Health Ctr. News, No. 2, 2–4 (1981).
Hoshino, Y., Scott, F. W.: Coronavirus-like particles in the feces of normal cats. Arch. Virol.63, 147–152 (1980).
Howatson, A. F.: Electron microscopic procedures in virology. In:Habel, K., Salzman, N. P. (eds.), Fundamental Techniques in Virology, 505–524. New York: Academic Press 1969.
MacNaughton, M. R., Davies, H. A.: Human enteric coronaviruses. Arch. Virol.70, 301–313 (1981).
Pedersen, N. C., Boyle, J. F., Floyd, K., Fudge, A., Barker, J.: An enteric coronavirus infection of cats and its relationship to feline infectious peritonitis. Am. J. vet. Res.42, 368–377 (1981).
Pedersen, N. C., Ward, J., Mengeling, W. L.: Antigenic relationship of the feline infectious peritonitis virus to coronaviruses of other species. Arch. Virol.58, 45–53 (1978).
Pocock, D. H.: Effect of sulfhydryl reagents on the biological activities, polypeptide composition and morphology of haemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus. J. gen. Virol.40, 93–101 (1978).
Reynolds, D. J., Garwes, D. J., Lucey, S.: Differentiation of canine coronavirus and porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus by neutralisation with canine, porcine, and feline sera. Vet. Microbiol.5, 283–290 (1980).
Tyrrell, D. A. J., Alexander, D. J., Almeida, J. D., Cunningham, C. H., Easterday, B. C., Garwes, D. J., Hierholzer, J. C., Kapikian, A., Macnaughton, M. R.,McIntosh, K.: Coronaviridae: Second report. Intervirol.10, 321–328 (1978).
Wirahadiredja, R. M. S., Anakotta, J., Osterhaus, A. D. M. E.: Detection by immunofluorescence of transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) viral antigen in pigs, using cat anti-feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus conjugate. Zbl. Vet. Med. B.25, 775–778 (1978).
Witte, K. H., Tuch, K., Dubenkropp, H., Walther, C.: Untersuchungen über die Antigenverwandtschaft der Viren der Felinen Infektiösen Peritonitis (FIP) und der Transmissiblen Gastroenteritis (TGE) des Schweines. Berl. Münch. tierärztl. Wschr.90, 396–401 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
With 1 Figure
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stoddart, C.A., Barlough, J.E. & Scott, F.W. Experimental studies of a coronavirus and coronavirus-like agent in a barrier-maintained feline breeding colony. Archives of Virology 79, 85–94 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01314306
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01314306