Epidemiology and molecular characterization of Feline panleukopenia virus from suspected domestic cats in selected Bangladesh regions

Abstract

Feline panleukopenia (FPL) is a highly contagious cat disease and is endemic in Bangladesh. The study aims to describe the epidemiology and molecular characterization of the Feline panleukopenia virus from the suspected domestic cats in selected Bangladesh regions. Randomly, 161 rectal swabs were collected from the pet hospitals between July 2021 and December 2022. A structured questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews with cat owners in order to collect data on potential risk factors for FPL, such as age, sex, sharing litter boxes and every day utensils in multicat households, vaccination history, hospital visits for other diseases, and season. The rectal swabs were tested by PCR targeting the VP2 capsid protein gene, and six PCR-positive samples were further sequenced for molecular characterizations. The risk factors for FPLV were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The overall prevalence of FPL among suspects was 22.9%. The mortality and case fatality were 10.6%, and 45.9%, respectively. However, mortality in kittens was significantly higher (16.4%) than younger cats. The odds of FPL were 8.83 times (95% CI: 3.14–24.85) higher among unvaccinated cats than vaccinated cats. The winter season had almost six times (95% CI: 1.38–24.40) higher odds of FPL than rainy season. In a multicat house, the odds of FPL was about five times (95% CI: 1.93–13.45) higher for cats that shared a litter box and food utensils compared to those that did not engage in such sharing. Visiting hospitals for other reasons nearly triples the odds of FPL (OR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.04–7.54) compared to cats that do not visit hospitals. Analysis of partial sequence of the VP2 gene revealed genetic variations among the isolates from different regions. Among these isolates, four were identical to FPLV isolates from South Korea and China, while one showed complete homology with FPLV isolates from Thailand. In contrast, the remaining one was 100% identical to Carnivore protoparvovirus-1 isolated from a feline sample in Italy. Our isolates were classified into three distinct clades alongside Feline panleukopenia virus and Carnivore protoparvovirus-1. One in every three suspected cats was infected with Feline panleukopenia. Regular vaccination of the cats, especially those that share common litter box and food utensils and visit hospitals for other purposes, will help reduce the prevalence of FPL in Bangladesh. Besides, it is worth emphasizing the existence of genetic diversity among the circulating Feline panleukopenia viruses in Bangladesh.

One-step triplex TaqMan quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for the detection of feline coronavirus, feline panleukopenia virus, and feline leukemia virus

“…FCoV [8][9][10][11][12][13][14], FPV [22][23][24][25][26], and FeLV [27][28][29] are prevalent worldwide, and coinfection with these viruses is common [8,[30][31][32]. These viruses continue to be a major factor affecting feline animals, especially kittens and multi-cat families.…”

“…A total of 62 enteric samples from Italy (2020-2021) showed FPV and FCoV coinfection with 24.2% (15/62) [31]. All these reports for FCoV [8][9][10][11][12][13][14], FPV [22][23][24][25][26], and FeLV [27][28][29] indicate that these viruses are commonly prevalent worldwide, and coinfections of these viruses cannot be neglected [8,[30][31][32]. These findings highlight the importance and urgency of establishing multiplex RT-qPCR for the detection and differentiation of these viruses to take effective prevention and control measures.…”

“…Fecal samples of 1620 diarrheal cats from Korea (2016–2019) showed 29.37% (819/1620) and 7.49% (209/1620) positivity rates for FCoV and FPV, respectively [ 25 ]. A total of 161 rectal swabs from Bangladesh (2021–2022) showed 22.9% positivity for FPV [ 26 ]. (3) For FeLV, healthy outdoor cats in Thailand (2016–2017) showed a 4.23% (11/260) positivity rate for FeLV [ 27 ].…”

“…FCoV [8][9][10][11][12][13][14], FPV [22][23][24][25][26], and FeLV [27][28][29] are prevalent in China and other countries worldwide, and coinfection with these two and/or three viruses is common [8,[30][31][32], resulting in huge economic damage and increasing health-care attention. FCoV, FPV, and FeLV cause similar signs of depression, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and weight loss [1,3,16,18,19], making it difficult to differential diagnosis of these diseases based only on clinical manifestations.…”