Feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection is very common in cats. In the United Kingdom, 40% of the domestic cat population has been infected and in multi-cat households this figure increases to 90%. Infections with FCoV are usually transient and cause only mild gastrointestinal disease such as diarrhoea. In these cases, we refer to the virus as feline enteric coronavirus (FECV). However, in a small percentage of cats, infection results in the serious disease of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). In this case the virus is referred to asfeline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). FIP is an important cause of death in young cats and, since no cure exists, it is extremely distressing to deal with, for both cat owners and veterinary surgeons. 

The clinical signs of FIP often include lethargy, poor appetite, weight loss, fever and jaundice.  Additionally, in the more common ‘wet’ form of the disease, fluid will typically accumulate in the abdominal cavity, and sometimes the chest. In the less common ‘dry’ form, there may also be signs of disease in the nervous system and eyes.
It is currently not clear why FIP arises in an individual cat.  It is likely that both the cat and the virus it encounters play a role.  The two main theories are that FIPV arises from FECV as a result of virus mutation within the individual cat, whilst others believe that distinctive FIPV and FECV strains exist and circulate amongst cats. 

One aspect of research being undertaken at the University of Bristol is the development of a so-called “reverse genetic” system for feline coronaviruses.  This involves constructing a copy of the virus in a form that can be changed in a specific way. This is a complex process but it will be of immense value in our basic research. Also in the longer term, it is one way to produce vaccines that may enable us to protect cats against the fatal disease of FIP.

The University of Bristol Feline Coronavirus (UBFC) research group is headed by Professor Stuart Siddell, an internationally renowned coronavirologist, and includes Dr Séverine Tasker and Professor Tim Gruffydd-Jones, both feline medicine specialists, and Dr Chris Helps, a molecular biologist with expertise in the diagnosis of virus infections in cats. Two new PhD students, Kat Cosgrove, a recent Bristol Veterinary School graduate, and Emily Porter, a science graduate from Liverpool University, have started working on the project and are in the process of acquiring virus samples for their studies. 

As a group, we are determined to do all we can to prevent FIP, and are thankful to The Langford Trust for their support of the UBFC Group. If you are willing to help with a financial donation to The Langford Trust for future work in this field, we promise that the money will be used as effectively as possible and in an ethical and responsible way.  Many thanks

Fig 1: Ascitic fluid collected from the abdomen of a cat with ‘wet’ FIP; the fluid is very protein-rich and will froth when mixed

Fig 2: View of the surface of the small intestine of a cat with FIP; note the FIP lesions (technically known as granulomas) visible on the surface of the gut (arrowed)