FELINE HERPESVIRUS INFECTION IN FOUR CAPTIVE CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS) POSTVACCINATION

POSTVACCINAL VIRAL DISEASE PRESENTATION IN TWO LITTERS OF CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS)

Protective antibody titers against core vaccines have not been standardized for cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) under human care. Vaccine-induced disease has been suspected after administration of modified live virus vaccine (MLVV), but it has not been confirmed as the causative agent. MLVV and killed virus vaccines (KVV) elicit humoral response in cheetahs; however, the use of both vaccines for initial immunization in cheetah cubs <6 months old within the same population has not been reported. The current case series describes viral disease presentation in two cheetah litters after using both vaccines and presents results for serum neutralization titers against feline calicivirus (FCV) and feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) and hemagglutination inhibition titers against feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). For Litter 1, MLVV was administered at 6 and 9 wk old. On week 11, one male developed ocular, oral, and dermal lesions. Viral isolation recovered FCV. Because of suspected vaccine-induced FCV, KVV was administered on weeks 13 and 16. Litter 2 was vaccinated with KVV via the same vaccination schedule. Fifty-three days after the last booster, two cubs presented with ocular, respiratory, and oral clinical signs; both were PCR positive for FHV-1. Serology reported a better anamnestic response and protective titers against FCV and FPV with the protocol used with Litter 1. In Litter 2, FCV and FHV-1 titer measurement failed in three of four cubs, limiting comparison of titers between litters. In spite of limited measurements, absence of a statistical evaluation, and presence of infection, serology showed a better humoral response when MLVV was used.

Full Viral Genome Sequencing and Phylogenomic Analysis of Feline Herpesvirus Type 1 (FHV-1) in Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)

Feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) is endemic in captive cheetahs and sporadically causes devastating disease. Modified live vaccines (MLV), intended for use in domestic cats, are used in some captive cheetah populations and have been anecdotally linked to disease in certain subpopulations. Ten FHV-1 isolates from ten captive cheetahs and one isolate from an MLV used to inoculate four of the host animals were analyzed. Viral DNA was extracted for full-genome sequencing by Illumina MiSeq with viral genomes then used for phylogenomic and recombinational analyses. The FHV-1 shed by vaccinated cheetahs were almost identical to the MLV, with few variants among viral genomes. Eight cheetah FHV-1 isolates and the MLV were grouped in a clade along with FHV-1 isolates from domestic cats in the USA. The remaining two cheetah FHV-1 isolates (unknown host vaccine status) were not associated with a clade. The likely ancestral origin of these two isolates involves recombination events between Australian domestic cat and cheetah FHV-1 isolates. Collectively, these data suggest that the MLV is capable of causing clinical disease and viral shedding in some cheetahs and represents evidence of interspecies transmission of virus between domestic and wild cats.

Oral Lesions in Captive Nondomestic Felids With a Focus on Odontogenic Lesions

Odontogenic lesions are well described in domestic cats, but published literature describing these lesions in nondomestic felids is limited. This study reports oral lesions in 109 captive, non-domestic felids. Ten cases of odontogenic lesions were diagnosed, including 9 with fibromatous epulis of periodontal ligament origin (FEPLO) and one odontogenic cyst in a cougar. FEPLO was common in lions. FEPLO did not recur after surgical removal in any of the 3 cases for which follow-up information was available. Increased occurrences of oral papillomas in snow leopards and eosinophilic granulomas in tigers were identified, which is consistent with the reported literature. With the exception of oral papillomas in snow leopards and FEPLO in lions, the spectrum of oral lesions in nondomestic felids was similar to what is reported in domestic cats, with squamous cell carcinoma being the most common oral malignancy, and stomatitis/gingivitis/glossitis accounting for approximately one third of all cases. Rare diagnoses with one case each included hemangioma, fibrosarcoma, melanoma, cleft palate, and glossal amyloidosis.