Virological and serological investigation of Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) infections

Feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) is a double-stranded, enveloped DNA virus belonging to the Varicellovirus genus of the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily of the Herpesviridae family. It is a causative agent of upper respiratory tract and ocular infections with rhinitis and conjunctivitis being common, particularly due to viral replication in the upper respiratory tract and cornea. As with other Alphaherpesviruses, FHV-1 can establish life-long latency in ganglia following primary infection. Latently infected cats act as virus carriers and can intermittently shed the virus. In the study, the presence of FHV-1 antigen in respiratory secretion and swab samples collected from cats exhibiting clinical signs of respiratory tract infection were examined by rapid test and PCR. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of the disease among respiratory tract infections and to determine the sensitivity of rapid test kits, the use of which has been increasing in recent years in field conditions where laboratory facilities are limited. In addition, blood samples were collected from animals without clinical signs of respiratory tract infection to determine the seroprevalence of FHV-1. For this purpose, ocular/nasal swab of 45 cats showing signs of respiratory tract infection were analyzed by PCR and rapid test, and serum samples of 92 apparently healthy cats were analyzed using the ELISA method. In conclusion FHV-1 DNA was detected as positive in 17 of 45 swab samples (38%) by PCR. The same swab samples were also analyzed using rapid test kits and 10 positive results were detected. When both tests were compared, there is no statistically significant relationship was found. . In the antibody ELISA test used for prevalence research, antibodies against FHV-1 were detected 80 of 92 (87%) in clinically healthy cats. This study demonstrated that FHV-1 is an important agent of upper respiratory tract infections and that there is a high rate of seropositivity in clinically asymptomatic cats. As a result, it has been concluded that in studies for clinical practice, diagnostic tests should be used in combination with reliable tests.