Feline retrovirus diagnosis, management central to new toolkitApril 23, 2020A new resource from the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) could help animal health professionals ensure their feline patients lead longer, healthier lives.
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University of Sydney researchers discover domestic cat hepadnavirusMay 31, 2018Scientists in Australia have identified a new feline disease, tentatively named domestic cat hepadnavirus, which is similar to that of hepatitis B in humans. The discovery, which has been published in the journal Viruses, could impact human medical research, as well as the health of cats, according to the University of Sydney research team. Researchers at the university made the breakthrough during their search for cancer-causing viruses in the tissue of an immunocompromised cat. The disease was identified after Jasper, a cat belonging to researcher Julia Beatty, Ph.D., professor of feline medicine at the university, died from heart disease and was found to be carrying a virus previously unidentified in cats. The Morris Animal Foundation-funded research team, including Dr. Beatty, was able to map a complete genome of the new virus and then tested banked samples from cats, including Jasper. In addition to his heart disease, Jasper also had feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Researchers found the new domestic cat hepadnavirus present in 10 percent of cats tested with FIV and 3.2 percent of non-FIV infected cats, mirroring the higher frequency of hepatitis B found in humans with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Beatty affirmed …
Zoetis launches Witness FFH test to detect three feline diseasesOctober 4, 2017Zoetis Inc. announced the launch of Witness FFH, a triple test that detects antigens to feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline heartworm, as well as antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Witness FFH is a simple, convenient, and cost-effective test that requires no refrigeration and is priced comparably to current FeLV-FIV tests on the market with the added benefit of heartworm testing, the company stated. "Zoetis is committed to delivering high-quality, point-of-care diagnostics to help easily and affordably diagnose conditions or diseases that affect the quality or duration of a pet's life," said Chris Demiris, marketing director, U.S. Diagnostics at Zoetis. "The new Witness FFH test is a rapid, reliable test that helps keep cats healthy." "A shared clinical sign of all three diseases is vomiting, so a triple test helps veterinarians make accurate diagnoses more quickly," said Matthew Krecic, DVM, MS, MBA, DACVIM, senior technical services manager, U.S. Diagnostics at Zoetis. "Sick cats may also have FeLV or FIV; therefore, testing for those concurrent with heartworm is sensible." Veterinarians should consider testing for heartworm infection in cats because clinical signs can be confused with those of many other diseases, including feline asthma, …
