Vets plea for drugs as 300,000 cats in Cyprus believed to have perished of infectious disease - feline infectious peritonitis? or a new feline coronav

[Shiloh]

Source: https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/new...ieved-to-have-perished-of-infectious-disease/

Vets plea for drugs as 300,000 cats in Cyprus believed to have perished of infectious disease
9 hours ago

Vets in Cyprus are crying out to the state to authorise the import of cheap drugs for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), which is estimated to have killed around 300,000 cats or 30% of the population of strays on the island.

FIP, believed to arise from an immune response to the highly transmissible feline coronavirus (FCoV), is mostly fatal and has grown into an epidemic in Cyprus, affecting both stray and domestic cats, said the president of the Pancyprian Veterinary Association, Demetris Epaminondas.

“Cats carry the common feline coronavirus, however, due to a mutation, they started suffering from FIP, which is fatal but curable and cannot be transmitted to humans,” he explained.

Reported FIP incidents in domestic cats have risen twentyfold in the past two years, he explained, noting that in the first three months of 2023, vets treated 500 suspected cases of FIP, while the number for the whole of 2022 was 219, and 105 in 2021.

The epidemic started in Nicosia and has since spread to Larnaca, Limassol and Famagusta, while currently, there is an outbreak in Paphos, Epaminondas said, adding that the vets association created an advisory committee to evaluate the situation and came up with suggestions.

“The conclusion was that the only way to stop the disease is medical treatment,” he said.

The big obstacle, he explains, is money, as one of the available drugs is extremely expensive. “For a cat weighing around three to four kilos, you need a treatment costing €3,000 to €7,000, to be administered for up to 90 days.”

Due to the high cost, cheaper unlicensed drugs have started circulating in a “flourishing” black market, Epaminondas said.

Glimmer of hope in India-made drugs..​

 

[Emily]

That's a horrible epidemic. I think the FIP drug for cats is a precursor of Remdesivir. (Probably would have been safer, too.)

https://news.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=210&Id=9235842&useobjecttypeid=10&fromVINNEWSASPX=1&f5=1

 

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

Published 11. July 2023, 08:01

300,000 DEAD SINCE JANUARY

A mysterious epidemic is decimating cats in Cyprus

A mutation of a feline coronavirus is wreaking havoc on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, with animal advocates urging the government to take action to stem the outbreak.

“Baby” is a six-month-old kitten who has just arrived at a veterinary clinic in Nicosia, the capital. He has feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). This virus "comes from a mutation of intestinal coronavirus present in 90% of cats", which is "very contagious" between them but which is not transmitted to humans, explains veterinarian Kostis Larkou, while handling the visibly disoriented animal.

FIP presents with polymorphic symptoms: fever, swelling of the abdomen, weakness and sometimes even aggressiveness. According to specialists, the feline population, made up for the most part of stray cats, would exceed the number of inhabitants on the island, estimated at just over a million. Cyprus and cats is an old story: the bones of one of these animals discovered near human remains in a burial site more than 9,000 years old are the oldest proof of its domestication in the world. .

Dinos Ayiomamitis, president of 'Cats PAWS Cyprus' and vice-president of 'Cyprus voice for Animals' (CVA), estimates that at least 300,000 cats have already died of the disease in six months. For 25 years, he has been feeding around sixty felines in a cemetery in Nicosia. “The colony is doing well, but we are worried, because if only one is infected, the others will be too”, confides this 70-year-old retiree, near cats that hop on the marble of the tombs.

Very few bodies discovered

FIP affects several large cities in Cyprus, a member country of the European Union which has been divided since the invasion of the northern part by Turkey in 1974. This epizootic would also affect neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Israel and Turkey, but for lack of studies, "nothing allows us to affirm it", indicates Demetris Epaminondas, vice-president of the Panchypriot Veterinary Association, which brings together professionals in the sector on the island.

Officially, only 107 cases have been identified in the southern part of the island, Cypriot-Greek, according to the veterinary services of the Ministry of Agriculture. A number that does not reflect reality, with several practitioners testifying to the difficulty in diagnosing the disease and a lack of resources to do so.

Especially since when cats are sick, they usually isolate themselves and die alone. Several people feeding cats have confided that they disappear and that very few corpses are discovered. To stem this outbreak, two options were considered: the use of a drug approved for human coronavirus in India, molnupiravir, and a veterinary antiviral drug approved in England, called 'GS-441524'.

“We buy our drugs on the black market online”

Only the import of GS has been authorized in Cyprus, but it is subject to restrictions, not to mention the prohibitive price of the treatment which can vary from 3,000 to 7,000 euros per cat. Result: there is no stock of medicines on the island. Some then have to resort to clandestine methods.

“We buy our drugs on the black market online, or on Facebook groups. We keep our suppliers secret so that we can continue to care for our animals, ”says a Cypriot on condition of anonymity, fearing to get in trouble.

"The Isle of Dead Cats"

For weeks, Mr. Epaminondas has been trying to obtain government authorization for molnupiravir, a treatment that would cost around 200 euros per cat. Contacted by AFP , the Ministry of Agriculture assured examine “the possible means of dealing with the issue” via “various therapeutic preparations available on the market of the European Union”.

Vasiliki Mani, a 38-year-old Cypriot member of several animal rights associations, is calling for a quick solution. In January, she treated two stray cats from the PIF, which cost her 3,600 euros. "I spent all my savings," says the volunteer, saying animals in Cyprus were treated with "negligence and cruelty." If the PIF continues to mutate, 'Isle of Cats' will become 'Island of Dead Cats', she warns.



https://www.lessentiel.lu/fr/story/une-mysterieuse-epidemie-decime-les-chats-a-chypre-691155338063

 

[Mary Wilson]

Experts warn about feline coronavirus after ‘thousands’ of cat deaths in Cyprus

Tue 18 Jul 2023 11.20 EDT
Last modified on Tue 18 Jul 2023 11.31 EDT​
Hannah Devlinand Linda Geddes​

Thousands of cats have died in Cyprus, according to experts who are warning that a more virulent strain of a feline coronavirus is causing severe illness.​ ...

The reports have raised questions about whether there is any connection between the rises in deaths and whether, given that many have pet cats at home, there is any evidence of an increased risk to people.

The outbreak in Cyprus involves a feline coronavirus – not linked to Covid-19 – that also circulates in cats in the UK, but which does not infect people. The virus normally causes only a mild stomach upset, but can lead to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), where white blood cells become infected, spreading the virus through the cat’s body and triggering an often fatal inflammatory reaction in the abdomen, kidneys and brain. ...

Last week, Dinos Ayiomamitis, the head of the Cat Protection and Welfare Society (PAWS) Cyprus, made the dramatic claim that an estimated 300,000 cats had died from FIP since January, although he later clarified that this was a rough calculation based on an estimated 20-30% mortality among the island’s approximately 1 million cats.

“We haven’t validated these numbers yet,” said Dr Charalampos Attipa, a senior lecturer in veterinary clinical pathology at the University of Edinburgh and one of the scientists investigating the outbreak. He said the latest figures showed cases had increased by a multiple of 40, year on year. “Definitely the numbers are in the thousands, but the exact [number] is hard to say.” ...
​
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...virus-after-thousands-of-cat-deaths-in-cyprus
​

 

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

In Cyprus, cats will receive treatment for COVID-19

.
France Media Agency
in Nicosia
August 3, 2023
Europe

Unused COVID-19 drugs for humans will be made available to treat cats on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where thousands of felines have died since January due to a mutation of the coronavirus, the government announced on Thursday. Cypriot.

Following a recommendation from the Ministry of Agriculture, the government gave the green light for the use of these drugs.

Feline infectious peritonitis, a strain of coronavirus not transmissible to humans, has taken its toll on the island's cat population.

“Stocks of drugs that have been used to treat cases of human coronavirus and which are no longer used can be made available” to sick felines, the government announced in a press release.

In the form of anti-COVID pills, the drugs will be provided by the veterinary services.


Animal advocates on the island have been urging the Cypriot government for several months to take action to stem the outbreak.

Officially, only 107 cases have been recorded in the southern part of the Greek-Cypriot island, according to the veterinary services of the Ministry of Agriculture.

A number that does not reflect reality according to animal rights activists. The association of Cypriot veterinarians estimates that "a third" of cats on the island have died from this disease.

According to specialists, there are just over a million cats in Cyprus, mainly stray cats.

The domestication of cats in Cyprus dates back more than 9,000 years, with the bones of one of these felines having been discovered near human remains in a burial.

https://www.ledevoir.com/monde/euro...ts-recevront-un-traitement-contre-la-covid-19

 

[Mary Wilson]

Cyprus' vet services doles out feline coronavirus medication

11 August, 2023
Source: Announcement

... To ensure efficient management of this situation, the Veterinary Pharmaceutical Council, as the authoritative body, has approved the use of human pharmaceuticals for coronavirus treatment in FIP cases. Following this approval, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, upon recommendation from the Ministry of Health, has decided to allocate anti-viral medications previously employed for human use to treat FIP cases in cats. ...

To validate the prescription, it must be accompanied by:

- Laboratory test results confirming the cat's FIP diagnosis
- A relevant medical recommendation from the private veterinarian
- A sworn statement from the guardian or caregiver, confirming that the animal under their care will exclusively utilize the medication for FIP treatment ...

https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en...ices-doles-out-feline-coronavirus-medications
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[Mary Wilson]

Unused human covid meds to combat peritonitis outbreak in cats

August 11 2023

In an effort to address the rising cases of infectious feline peritonitis, the Cabinet, following an investigation by the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Environment, has decided to make available unused preparations previously used to treat human cases of coronavirus. ...

It is important to emphasize that feline infectious peritonitis is not transmissible to humans, ensuring public safety in the process.

https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en...d-meds-to-combat-peritonitis-outbreak-in-cats

 

[sharon sanders]

Please see:

Science . New feline coronavirus blamed for thousands of cat deaths in Cyprus
​

 

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

Emergence of a new virus, FCoV-23, highly pathogenic for cats

Anne-Claire Gagnon

| 16.11.2023 at 12:10:00 |

A FIP epidemic has been raging since the beginning of 2023 in Cyprus. Sequencing of the genome of the virus in question shows that it is a recombinant between the feline and canine coronaviruses. This new virus is contagious.

Sequencing of the genome of the feline coronavirus responsible for an outbreak of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) in Cyprus has revealed the emergence of a new virus, FCoV-23, highly pathogenic for cats. It is a recombinant between the feline coronavirus (FCoV) and the canine coronavirus (CCoV) which has 97% homology with the pantropic CCoV. The work to identify the genome of this new virus is the result of collaboration between practitioners and the Cypriot authorities, researchers from the team of Pr. Danièlle Gunn-Moore (Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary studies, Edinburgh, Scotland), the Royal Veterinary College (London, United Kingdom) and German and Cypriot analysis laboratories. A publication is in press.

Neurological expression, with a dry form
Until now, FCoV was not contagious, with each cat developing FIP following a mutation in FCoV unique to that cat. However, since the start of 2023, our Cypriot colleagues have seen a considerable increase in FIP cases (multiplied by 40, between January and August, based on cases where a PCR had been carried out, i.e. 165 in total). However, there are more than 8,000 cats who died from FIP, according to practitioners' estimates, with FCoV-23 not having spared any category of cats: purebred, house, stray. Since August 3, the Cypriot authorities have authorized veterinary practitioners, subject to providing confirmation of a positive PCR, to prescribe molnupiravir, stored for the treatment of humans affected by Covid. The clinical form called FeCoV-23 prevalent in Cyprus is mainly neurologically expressed, with a dry form. This is the first time that contagion has been documented, including in the absence of contact between cats, and therefore also indirectly.

Vigilance
Despite warnings to be careful this summer, urging British tourists and residents not to take their cats on holiday to Cyprus, or bring them back, a 9-month-old cat was imported at the end of August. She developed fever with ascites. As soon as the identification of FCoV-23 was confirmed, its medical treatment, with high doses of GS-441524, was implemented under the responsibility of the feline medicine team at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary studies. (Edinburgh), with a ban on going out for this cat. The team very regularly monitors viral excretion in their feces.

A call for vigilance has been launched to all British practitioners for any suspicion of FIP in a cat coming from Cyprus. FCoV-23 could originate from the Mediterranean basin, particularly Turkey or Lebanon. Research is underway.

Anne-Claire Gagnon

https://www.lepointveterinaire.fr/a...ov-23-hautement-pathogene-pour-les-chats.html

 

[sharon sanders]

hat tip FrenchieGirl

Emergence and spread of feline infectious peritonitis due to a highly pathogenic canine/feline recombinant coronavirus

View ORCID ProfileCharalampos Attipa, View ORCID ProfileAmanda S Warr, View ORCID ProfileDemetris Epaminondas, View ORCID ProfileMarie O’Shea, View ORCID ProfileSarah Fletcher, View ORCID ProfileAlexandra Malbon, View ORCID ProfileMaria Lyraki, Rachael Hammond, View ORCID ProfileAlexandros Hardas, Antria Zanti, Stavroula Loukaidou, Michaela Gentil, View ORCID ProfileDanielle Gunne-Moore, View ORCID ProfileStella Mazeri, View ORCID ProfileChristine Tait-Burkard
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.08.566182

Abstract

Cross-species transmission of coronaviruses (CoVs) poses a serious threat to both animal and human health[SUP]1-3[/SUP]. Whilst the large RNA genome of CoVs shows relatively low mutation rates, recombination within genera is frequently observed and demonstrated[SUP]4-7[/SUP]. Companion animals are often overlooked in the transmission cycle of viral diseases; however, the close relationship of feline (FCoV) and canine CoV (CCoV) to human hCoV-229E[SUP]5,8[/SUP], as well as their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2[SUP]9[/SUP] highlight their importance in potential transmission cycles. Whilst recombination between CCoV and FCoV of a large fragment spanning orf1b to M has been previously described[SUP]5,10[/SUP], here we report the emergence of a novel, highly pathogenic FCoV-CCoV recombinant responsible for a rapidly spreading outbreak of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), originating in Cyprus[SUP]11[/SUP]. The recombination, spanning spike, shows 97% sequence identity to the pantropic canine coronavirus CB/05. Infection is spreading fast and infecting cats of all ages. Development of FIP appears rapid and likely non-reliant on biotype switch[SUP]12[/SUP]. High sequence identity of isolates from cats in different districts of the island is strongly supportive of direct transmission. A deletion and several amino acid changes in spike, particularly the receptor binding domain, compared to other FCoV-2s, indicate changes to receptor binding and likely cell tropism.



Competing Interest Statement


The authors have declared no competing interest.
​
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.08.566182v2