FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS (FIP)

1. What is FIP? FIP is a viral disease.

2. How common is the disease? Twenty five percent of all cats have antibodies to FIP. Of that, twenty five percent, one to five percent actually develop the fatal form of the disease in the general cat population.

In catteries and multiple cat households, 90-100% of the cats may have antibodies to the disease, and twenty percent of the cats may die from the disease.

3. Why is the disease more common when there is more than one cat? The increase may be due to stress, overcrowding, and prolonged exposure to the virus.

4. How is it transmitted from cat to cat? The natural means of transmission

of the disease is not known. The virus may be transmitted via urine, stool, bites from blood sucking parasites and transmitted from the mother to the kittens in the uterus during pregnancy.

5. What is the incubation period? The incubation period from exposure to the

presence of antibodies in the blood is 2 to 6 weeks. The period from initial exposure to the virus to the onset of the fatal form of the disease may be several weeks to many years.

6. What happens when a cat is exposed to the virus? A mild, chronic upper respiratory infection with a discharge from the nose and eyes develops. Seventy five percent of the cats recover and have no further problems. The other twenty five percent become carriers and shed the virus for the rest of their lives. One to five percent of the carriers will develop the fatal form of the disease and die as a result.

7. What are the signs of the disease? Abdomenal enlargement, weight loss,

fever, depression, poor appetite and malfunction of one or several internal organs may be seen in infected cats. In breeding catteries, there may be abortions, uterine infection, resorption of kittens in the uterus, weak or "fading kitten" or stillbirth. -

8. How is it diagnosed? Diagnosis is accomplished by blood test for antibody levels to the virus in the blood of affected cats.

9. What is the treatment? There is no cure for the disease once clinical signs develop. A cat with the disease may be treated with fluids, antibotics and vitamins for a while but they invariably die from the disease.

10. How is it controlled? There is no vaccine available at the present time.

The virus can be killed with a 1/32 dilution of household bleach. The area where an infected cat is housed should be thoroughly cleaned with the bleach before a new cat is brought into the house.

In Catteries, new cats should be tested for the antibody to the virus. FIP negative cats should be kept separately for 2 weeks then re-tested. If it is still FIP negative, the cat should be considered safe. FIP positive cats must not be exposed to the healthy cats already in the Cattery.