Frequency of calicivirus in felines with respiratory signs in Medellin, Colombia (2020)

Abstract Feline calicivirus (FVC) is one of the main infectious pathogens causing upper respiratory tract disease in cats (URTD). It is a virus of common presentation in cats in shelter conditions or cats with access to the outside, the clinical picture is associated with respiratory symptoms, oral ulcerations, eye discharge, and lameness. To determine the frequency of feline calicivirus in animals with respiratory symptoms in Medellín, Colombia, in 2020, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out, including 64 domestic cats with signs compatible with upper respiratory tract disease and oral ulcers. For determination of the frequency of presentation of FVC, the distribution was 36 females and 28 males, and the mestizo race was the most frequent with 47 specimens, which were vaccinated with conventional vaccine strain F9. Conjunctival and nasal swabs were performed for diagnosis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect feline calicivirus, of which 22 cats were positive for feline calicivirosis, representing a frequency of 34.3% of the sample evaluated. Feline calicivirus is a disease with a high frequency in domestic felines with respiratory symptoms and oral ulcers in Medellin, Colombia, including cats vaccinated with conventional vaccines containing the F9 strain, which may imply that strains that do not respond to these vaccines are circulating.