Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease affecting both domestic and nondomestic cats worldwide. Although FIP is known to be caused by a feline coronavims, the vast majority of infected cats never develop the clinic syndrome. It is nowapparent that clinical illness is dependent on a combination of both viral and host factors. The disease first appeared in the United States in the early 1960s within a decade of the first reports of a related coronavirus of swine, which causes transmissible gastroenteritis. Feline coronaviruses take 2 forms in the cat. Feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) and feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) are nearly indistinguishable on a molecular level, but they cause markedly dissimilar clinical signs. Coronaviruses are primarily shed in the feces, but may also be found in the saliva, respiratory secretions, and urine. The virus is highly infectious, resulting in a high rate of seroconversion within households. Approximately one-third of seropositive cats are actively shedding virus. Healthy carriers may shed virus intermittently for up to 10 months, but less than 10 percent of these infected cats will develop FIP. Although not all infected cats seroconvert, seronegative cats are unlikely to be sheddingvirus. The coronaviruses are remarkably stable in the environment and may remain infectious for up to 7 weeks.
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