Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2013) 15 , Supplementary File FACT SHEET DISEASE INFORMATION FACT SHEET Feline calicivirus This Disease Information Fact Sheet accompanies the 2013 AAFP Feline Vaccination Advisory Panel Report published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2013), Volume 15, pp 785 –808. AAFP FELINE VACCINATION ADVISORY PANEL Margie A Scherk Disease facts DVM Dip ABVP The 2013 Report of the Feline Vaccination (Feline Practice) Advisory Panel of the American Association of Advisory Panel Chair* The many strains of feline calicivirus (FCV) Feline Practitioners (AAFP) provides practical Richard B Ford recommendations to help clinicians select DVM MS Dip ACVIM typically cause upper respiratory tract disease DACVPM (Hon) (URD) and oral ulceration, though some may appropriate vaccination schedules for their induce febrile lameness or subclinical infec - feline patients based on risk assessment. Rosalind M Gaskell 1–4 BVSc PhD MRCVS tion. FCV is also associated with chronic The recommendations rely on published data 1,5,6 gingivitis/stomatitis, although its exact as much as possible, as well as consensus of a Katrin Hartmann multidisciplinary panel of experts in immunology, Dr Med Vet Dr Med Vet Habil role is unclear. The more recently emerged Dip ECVIM-CA virulent systemic feline calicivirus (VS-FCV) infectious disease, internal medicine and clinical practice. The Report is endorsed by the Kate F Hurley disease shows high mortality, edematous and DVM MPVM ulcerative skin lesions and jaundice (Figures International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM). 7–13 1–4). Other conditions, including disinfec - Michael R Lappin DVM PhD Dip ACVIM tant toxicosis and herpesvirus infection, can Julie K Levy also cause oral ulceration and respiratory DVM PhD Dip ACVIM symptoms; hence diagnosis of calicivirus Susan E Little infection should not be based on these signs However, FCV survives better than feline DVM Dip ABVP (Feline Practice) alone, especially when VS-FCV infection is herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) in the environment Shila K Nordone being considered. (~1 month); some disinfectants are more MS PhD 14 Transmission is largely by direct contact effective than others. Aerosols are not of 3,4 Andrew H Sparkes with infected ocular, nasal or oral secretions. major importance in transmission. BVetMed PhD DipECVIM MRCVS *Corresponding author: Email: [email protected] Figures 1 and 2 Marked facial edema, extensive hair loss, oozing and ulceration of the skin in two cats affected by VS-FCV. Less virulent strains can cause slight crusting on the muzzle and feet. Images courtesy of Dr Kate Hurley © ISFM and AAFP 2013 Reprints and permission: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav FACT SHEET / Feline calicivirus Figure 3 Hair loss, crusting and edema of the feet in a cat with VS-FCV. Image courtesy of Figure 4 Hair loss and crusting of the ears in a cat with Dr Kate Hurley VS-FCV. Image courtesy of Dr Kate Hurley Acutely infected cats generally shed virus Some evidence suggests the profile of FCV for up to 2 –3 weeks, although some shed per - strains in the field may be changing over time, 29 –33 sistently for varying periods, and re-infection although this is not the case in all studies. 1,4,15,16 is common. Carriers are widespread and Factors such as sampling strategy and whether important in the epidemiology of the disease; the viruses are from clinically healthy or sick 20,29,34 –37 the highest prevalence is in groups of cats cats may influence the outcome. (25 –40%), and lowest in household pets Evidence suggests that use of multivalent 14 (~10%). Disease is more prevalent, therefore, FCV vaccines increase the proportion of 19,20,35,36,38 in boarding, shelter facilities and breeding strains neutralized, and some are 4,17,18 colonies, and tends to occur in young now available commercially. In the European kittens following the decline of maternally Union, an inactivated non-adjuvanted biva - derived antibodies (MDA), though subclinical lent FCV vaccine is marketed in combination 20 infection may occur while MDA are still with a ML FHV-1 vaccine. In North America, 3,4 present. there is a combination dual-strain inactivated Vaccine types adjuvanted FCV vaccine containing both a conventional vaccine strain plus a VS-FCV strain, which was shown to induce homolo - 35 The majority of FCV vaccines are in combina - gous protection. However, it should be tion with FHV-1 vaccines; as well, other anti - noted that, so far, each VS-FCV outbreak 1,2,39 gens may be included. At the time of writing, strain appears different. there is one dual strain FCV vaccine without any other antigens. Both modified-live (ML) Onset and duration of immunity and inactivated vaccines are available for injec - tion. Attenuated vaccines for intranasal admin - istration are also marketed in some countries. In general, onset of protection is considered to Both ML and inactivated vaccines are reason - be from 1 –3 weeks after the second vaccina - ably effective against disease, but do not tion, and manufacturers recommend revacci - 21 prevent infection or the carrier state. In some nation after 1 year. However, published vaccine studies reduced viral shedding after serological and challenge studies show that 19 –21 challenge has been shown, though in others there is likely to be reasonable cross-protec - 22 a longer duration of shedding was reported. tion in the majority of animals up to 3 years or 40 –44 FCV strains comprise one serotype and longer post-vaccination. Nevertheless, predominantly one genogroup worldwide, protection is not always complete and may although there is considerable variation decline slightly as the vaccination interval 4,41,45,46 between strains, which has an impact on vac - increases. 1,23 –27 cination. However, most strains used in Vaccine safety vaccines protect against the majority of iso - lates, but not equally well against all, includ - 12,14,19,28 ing some of the VS-FCV viruses. ML injectable FCV vaccines in combination Protection for both classical and VS-FCV iso - with FHV-1 vaccines are generally safe, but lates relates largely to their antigenic cross- mild URD signs, and in some cases lameness, 37,47 –50 reactivity with the vaccine strain in question, may occasionally occur after their use. 20 as both groups show antigenic variation. These reactions are mostly due to coincidental Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2013) 15 , Supplementary File FACT SHEET / Feline calicivirus infection with field virus – although, in some Advisory Panel Recommendations cases, sequencing has shown that vaccine 48,51,52 virus may be involved. (See also FAQs Vaccination against FCV is queens with unknown vaccine in the Report, page 802.) The F9 vaccine strain considered core. MDA typically histories). Revaccination should take appears to circulate to a limited extent in the persist for 10 –14 weeks and may still place at 1 year of age after kitten field, though the significance of this is be at interfering levels for longer in vaccination, or 1 year after the primary 1,16,51,53,54 unclear. URD signs are more some cases, but there is considerable course in older cats. Thereafter, cats 55 4,14,56 –59 commonly seen (in one study, 30% cats) variation between individuals. should be vaccinated once every following intranasal vaccination. Inactivated Some kittens will have low or no MDA 3 years. If a cat is going to be placed vaccines may be more appropriate in disease- titers and may respond to injectable in a known high-risk situation, an 58 free colonies as there is no risk of spread or vaccination at 6 weeks of age. additional booster vaccination may be reversion to virulence. Because of this variability, the initial warranted 7 –10 days prior to entry, vaccination series ideally should particularly if it has not been begin at 6 weeks of age and be vaccinated in the preceding year. repeated every 3 –4 weeks (or 2 –3 A single dose of intranasal vaccine References weeks in shelters) until 16 –20 weeks offers more rapid (2 –6 days) onset of of age. However, in some countries protection, and can be useful for 1 Radford AD, Coyne KP, Dawson S, Porter CJ and vaccines are only licensed for use animals entering a high-risk situation Gaskell RM. Feline calicivirus. Vet Res 2007; 38: from 8 –9 weeks of age. such as a boarding facility or 3,4 319 –335. Vaccination as early as 4 weeks may shelter. (See also sections in the 2 Pesavento PA, Chang K and Parker JSL. be appropriate in situations of high risk Report on boarding catteries and Molecular virology of feline calicivirus. (eg, shelters or catteries with endemic shelters, pages 791 –794, for Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2008; 38: disease) or questionable MDA status information on the use of intranasal 775 –786. (eg, orphaned kittens or those born to vaccines in these contexts.) 3 Gaskell RM, Dawson S and Radford AD. Feline respiratory diseases. In: Greene C (ed). Infectious diseases of the dog and cat. 4 ed. St Louis: Elsevier Saunders, 2012, pp 151 –162. 4 Gaskell RM, Radford AD and Dawson S. Feline 11 Hurley K, Pesavento P, Pedersen N, Poland A, infectious respiratory disease. In: Chandler EA, Wilson E and Foley J. An outbreak of virulent Gaskell CJ and Gaskell RM (eds). Feline medi - systemic feline calicivirus disease. J Am Vet cine and therapeutics. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Med Assoc 2004; 224: 241 –249. Publishing, 2004, pp 577 –595. 12 Pedersen NC, Elliott JB, Glasgow A, Poland A 5 Belgard S, Truyen U, Thibault JC, Sauter-Louis C and Keel K. An isolated epizootic of hemor - and Hartmann K. Relevance of feline calici - rhagic-like fever in cats caused by a novel and virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline highly virulent strain of feline calicivirus.