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Pathogens
Special Issues
Feline Coronavirus Infections
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Feline Coronavirus Infections

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Viral Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 6174

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Danièlle Gunn-Moore

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
Interests: feline infectious peritonitis; feline mycobacterial infections; feline dementia
Dr. Petra Cerna

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Interests: feline medicine; feline infectious diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) has been a challenge for veterinarians and a devastating disease among cats for over half a century; however, despite marked efforts and many theories, the pathogenesis of FIP is still not fully understood. Feline infectious peritonitis is a clinical syndrome that is believed to arise from mutations of feline enteric coronavirus (FECV), which results in changes to viral pathogenicity, enabling FIP viruses (FIPVs) to replicate in monocytes and macrophages. Recent studies have reported the use of drugs such as the nucleoside analogue remdesivir, GS-441524 and EIDD-2801 as a successful treatment of FIP, with about 80% success in treating this previously lethal disease.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide new insights into feline coronavirus infections, particularly FIP, which is essential for a better understanding of the disease and for advancing the treatment for FIP. Thus, we invite you to submit original articles and review articles on feline coronavirus infections, including the basic mechanisms of FIPV infections in vitro and in vivo, virus interactions with the host immune system, the development of novel diagnostic tools, and studies on therapeutic and preventive measures.

We look forward to your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Danièlle Gunn-Moore
Dr. Petra Cerna
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cats
  • coronavirus
  • infectious peritonitis
  • shedding

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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9 pages, 789 KiB  
Article
Pharmacokinetics of Molnupiravir in Cats with Naturally Occurring Feline Infectious Peritonitis
by Petra Černá, Luke Wittenburg, Jennifer Hawley, McKenna Willis, Britta Siegenthaler and Michael R. Lappin
Pathogens 2025, 14(7), 666; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14070666 - 7 Jul 2025
Viewed by 484
Abstract
Antiviral drugs like EIDD-2801 (molnupiravir; MPV) have been successfully used in the treatment of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). The previous study of the pharmacokinetics of MPV in healthy cats showed promise for its use and safety. The objective was to determine the pharmacokinetics [...] Read more.
Antiviral drugs like EIDD-2801 (molnupiravir; MPV) have been successfully used in the treatment of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). The previous study of the pharmacokinetics of MPV in healthy cats showed promise for its use and safety. The objective was to determine the pharmacokinetics of molnupiravir in cats with naturally occurring FIP by measuring MPV and EIDD-193 (β-D-N4-hydroxycytidine; NHC) serum levels. Blood was collected from seven cats diagnosed with naturally occurring FIP treated at 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 h post oral MPV administration and at 12 h post pill administration 7 days later. Serum concentrations of MPV and NHC were determined using a previously published high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method. The mean dose of MPV was 15.44 mg/kg (SD ± 1.82). The mean peak serum concentration of MPV (Cmax) after a single PO dose of MPV was 38 ng/mL (SD ± 5). The mean peak serum concentration of NHC (Cmax) after a single PO dose of MVP was 1551 ng/mL (SD ± 720). the time to reach NHC Cmax (Tmax) was 2.6 h (SD ± 1.4), and the NHC elimination half-life was 1.6 h (SD ± 1.1). Minimal drug accumulation was seen in trough concentrations following twice-daily dosing for 7 days. The low MPV levels may be explained by fast conversion to its active metabolite NHC. The mean NHC concentrations at all time points were at least 4 times the reported in vitro IC50 for feline coronavirus strains and twice-daily dosing for seven days did not lead to drug accumulation within the serum. The results support the use of MPV in the treatment of FIP, and if therapeutic drug monitoring is to be performed, NHC should be measured. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feline Coronavirus Infections)
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11 pages, 220 KiB  
Article
Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in Cats with Feline Infectious Peritonitis
by Petra Černá, Marieke Knies, Marleen Assink, Samantha Evans, Séverine Tasker, Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore, Katrin Hartmann, Katharina Buchta, Samantha Taylor, Solène Meunier, Regina Hofmann-Lehmann, Nicole Jacque, Allison Koonce, Casandra Jacobs, Ashley Gillett and Michael R. Lappin
Pathogens 2025, 14(7), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14070660 - 4 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is caused by mutated feline coronaviruses. Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) arises due to immune-mediated erythrocyte destruction and can be non-associative or associative with diseases such as FIP. Records of cats with FIP were reviewed to find those with associative [...] Read more.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is caused by mutated feline coronaviruses. Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) arises due to immune-mediated erythrocyte destruction and can be non-associative or associative with diseases such as FIP. Records of cats with FIP were reviewed to find those with associative IMHA based on exclusion of other causes of anemia and a positive saline agglutination test and/or Coombs test. The inclusion criteria were met for 45 cats (26 (58%) cats with effusive and 19 (42%) with non-effusive FIP). Median hematocrit was 18% (interquartile range [IQR] 13–20). Anemia was non-regenerative in 36 (80%) cats and regenerative in 5 (11%) cats; 4 (9%) cats had no reticulocyte count available. Concurrent thrombocytopenia was present in 18 (40%) cats. All 45 cats were treated with nucleoside analogs, and 44 (98%) cats with glucocorticoids; in 5 (11%) cats, glucocorticoids were added after starting antiviral treatment due to persistent anemia. Median follow-up was 72 days (IQR 14–246); at the time of last follow-up 33 (73%) cats had survived while 12 (27%) had died or were euthanized. Of the 33 surviving cats, 17 achieved remission of both FIP and IMHA. In three cats, FIP remission was achieved, but IMHA relapsed; in one of these, IMHA relapsed twice. FIP relapsed without IMHA in two cats, and both FIP and IMHA relapsed in one cat. In 9 cats the antiviral and glucocorticoid treatment is still ongoing at the time of the publication. Although FIP is likely an uncommon cause of associative IMHA, as more cats with FIP are treated with antiviral therapy, it is important to consider IMHA as a possible cause of anemia in cats with FIP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feline Coronavirus Infections)
13 pages, 4665 KiB  
Article
Prospective Analysis of Clinicopathologic Correlates of At-Home Feline Infectious Peritonitis Treatment Using GS-441524
by Kelly Larson, Emma Hart, Rosa Negash, Wendy Novicoff, Nicole Jacque and Samantha Evans
Pathogens 2025, 14(5), 507; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14050507 - 21 May 2025
Viewed by 610
Abstract
Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is caused by a systemic feline coronavirus (FCoV). Prior to June 2024, compounded FIP treatment was unavailable for prescription by veterinarians in the United States, leading to many cat owners obtaining treatment through unlicensed “black market” sources. We hypothesized [...] Read more.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is caused by a systemic feline coronavirus (FCoV). Prior to June 2024, compounded FIP treatment was unavailable for prescription by veterinarians in the United States, leading to many cat owners obtaining treatment through unlicensed “black market” sources. We hypothesized that clinicopathologic data could provide insight on prognostic indicators for the treatment of FIP with GS-441524. This study used data gathered via surveys from 126 cat owners who used “black market” GS-441524 for their cats. We compared bloodwork parameters over twelve weeks of treatment. None of the clinicopathologic correlates, when analyzed via two-sample t-tests, produced statistically significant results between cured, deceased, and relapsed groups. Within cats considered cured, it was observed that hematocrit (HCT) and white blood cell (WBC) values were within normal limits by the 2–6-week period. Cats who died during the study had lower HCT and higher WBC values within the 2–6-week period. Trends were also seen in A/G and total bilirubin (T-BIL), with deceased patients showing a higher A/G ratio and lower value than those in the cured group. Overall, these data demonstrate a lack of traditional clinicopathologic parameters which are consistently predictive of FIP therapy success. Other predictors of outcome with antiviral therapy should be pursued. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feline Coronavirus Infections)
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12 pages, 253 KiB  
Case Report
Rapid Clinical Resolution and Differential Diagnosis of a Neurological Case of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Using GS-441524
by Amy Huynh, Pamela Moraguez, Logan M. Watkins, Jonathan H. Wood, Ximena A. Olarte-Castillo and Gary R. Whittaker
Pathogens 2025, 14(5), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14050424 - 27 Apr 2025
Viewed by 1910
Abstract
Case summary: A 2-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat was presented with a progressive history of tetraparesis, ataxia, and inappetence over 4 days. A physical exam revealed mucopurulent nasal discharge and stertor. A neurologic exam revealed a multifocal neurolocalization. The cat was non-ambulatory [...] Read more.
Case summary: A 2-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat was presented with a progressive history of tetraparesis, ataxia, and inappetence over 4 days. A physical exam revealed mucopurulent nasal discharge and stertor. A neurologic exam revealed a multifocal neurolocalization. The cat was non-ambulatory tetraparetic and developed seizures while in hospital. Hematologic assessment revealed anemia, hypoalbuminemia and hyperglobulinemia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed multifocal meningeal contrast enhancement in the brainstem and cervical spine, as well as mandibular and retropharyngeal lymphadenopathy. Cerebrospinal fluid revealed marked neutrophilic pleocytosis; no infectious organisms were seen. Toxoplasma IgG/IgM and Cryptococcus antigen latex agglutination were negative. Mandibular and abdominal lymph nodes were aspirated, and cytology revealed mixed inflammation. The cat was suspected to have feline infectious peritonitis, and to aid in clinical diagnosis he was enrolled in research study—with targeted Nanopore-based sequencing specifically identifying and characterizing FCoV-1 RNA in spinal fluid and anal swab, but not in urine. The cat was treated with anticonvulsants (phenobarbital and levetiracetam), an antibiotic (ampicillin/clavulanic acid), and GS-441524. Neurologic signs did not improve on an antibiotic alone but improved significantly after two subcutaneous injections of GS-441524. The cat received an 84-day course of GS-441524 and, at the time of manuscript preparation (over 12 months after diagnosis), remains ambulatory and seizure-free without recurrence of neurologic signs and no detectable viral shedding in feces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feline Coronavirus Infections)
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