Feline vaccination
Encyclopedia
Feline vaccination is the administration of antigenic material (the vaccine) in cats to produce immunity to a feline disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by a pathogen. Currently, there are geographically defined core vaccines and individually chosen non-core vaccine recommendations for cats. In many areas, the core vaccines consist of a single combined FVRCP vaccine shot which protects against FVR (FHV-1), FCV and FPV. Most vaccination protocols recommend a series of vaccines for kittens, with vaccine boosters
given at one year of age. Frequency of vaccination thereafter varies with exposure risk, the disease and vaccine type. Most vaccines are given by subcutaneous (under the skin) or intramuscular (into the muscle) injection. Respiratory tract disease vaccination may be given intra-nasally (in the nose) in some cases.
Vaccine immunogens may consist of killed or inactivated pathogens, bio-engineered pathogen proteins or polypeptides, or, increasingly rarely, modified-live virus. Most vaccines contain adjuvants designed to boost the immune response to the vaccines. Many adverse reactions are associated with reactions to these adjuvants.
(AVMA) and American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) have developed vaccination guidelines recommending that FVRCP vaccinations generally be administered every 3 years, after completion of the kitten series of shots (which is needed due to maternal antibody interference).
, a type of malignant tumor
has also occurred in association with FVRCP vaccines, though feline leukemia virus
(FeLV) and rabies virus
vaccines are more commonly implicated.
Given the studies documenting long-term efficacy and the creation of vaccine guidelines by authoritative organization like the AAFP, many veterinarians have adjusted their vaccine schedules. Some practitioners offer blood tests that measure the cat's levels of protective antibodies to determine which cats need to be vaccinated more frequently. Due to the extremely deadly and contagious nature of panleukopenia, the AVMA and AAFP strongly advocate the appropriate use of vaccinations against panleukopenia.
In November 1996 Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force (VAFSTF) was formed. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the Veterinary Cancer Society (VCS) cooperated to respond to an increased incidence of soft tissue sarcomas occurring at vaccination sites. Veterinarians are advised to inject vaccines into leg tissue. Owners are advised to monitor injection sites for signs of tumors and contact their veterinarian immediately if one develops.
Booster dose
In medicine, a booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier dose. After initial immunization, a booster injection or booster dose is a re-exposure to the immunizing antigen. It is intended to increase immunity against that antigen back to protective levels after it has been...
given at one year of age. Frequency of vaccination thereafter varies with exposure risk, the disease and vaccine type. Most vaccines are given by subcutaneous (under the skin) or intramuscular (into the muscle) injection. Respiratory tract disease vaccination may be given intra-nasally (in the nose) in some cases.
Vaccine immunogens may consist of killed or inactivated pathogens, bio-engineered pathogen proteins or polypeptides, or, increasingly rarely, modified-live virus. Most vaccines contain adjuvants designed to boost the immune response to the vaccines. Many adverse reactions are associated with reactions to these adjuvants.
Core
- Feline viral rhinotracheitisFeline viral rhinotracheitisFeline viral rhinotracheitis is an upper respiratory infection of cats caused by feline herpesvirus 1, of the family Herpesviridae. It is also known as feline influenza and feline coryza. Viral respiratory diseases in cats can be serious, especially in catteries and kennels...
(FVR) is an upper respiratory infection of catCatThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s caused by feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), of the family HerpesviridaeHerpesviridaeThe Herpesviridae are a large family of DNA viruses that cause diseases in animals, including humans. The members of this family are also known as herpesviruses. The family name is derived from the Greek word herpein , referring to the latent, recurring infections typical of this group of viruses...
. It is also known as feline influenza. FVR is very contagious and can cause severe disease, including death from pneumoniaPneumoniaPneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in young kittens. All members of the FelidaeFelidaeFelidae is the biological family of the cats; a member of this family is called a felid. Felids are the strictest carnivores of the thirteen terrestrial families in the order Carnivora, although the three families of marine mammals comprising the superfamily pinnipedia are as carnivorous as the...
family are susceptible to FVR, - Feline calicivirusFeline calicivirusFeline calicivirus is a virus of the family Caliciviridae that causes disease in cats. It is one of the two important viral causes of respiratory infection in cats, the other being feline herpesvirus. FCV can be isolated from about 50 percent of cats with upper respiratory infection...
(FCV)
- Feline panleukopeniaFeline panleukopeniaFeline panleukopenia virus , also known as Feline infectious enteritis, Feline distemper, feline ataxia, or cat plague, is a viral infection affecting cats, both domesticated and wild feline species. It is caused by feline parvovirus, a close relative of both type 2 canine parvovirus and mink...
(FPV) more commonly known as feline distemper is caused by the feline parvovirusParvovirusParvovirus, often truncated to "parvo", is both the common name in English casually applied to all the viruses in the Parvoviridae taxonomic family, and also the taxonomic name of the Parvovirus genus within the Parvoviridae family...
, a close relative of canine parvovirusCanine parvovirusCanine parvovirus type 2 is a contagious virus mainly affecting dogs. The disease is highly contagious and is spread from dog to dog by direct or indirect contact with their feces. It can be especially severe in puppies that are not protected by maternal antibodies or vaccination. It has two...
. It is not related to canine distemperCanine distemperCanine distemper is a viral disease that affects animals in the families Canidae, Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Hyaenidae, Ailuridae, Procyonidae, Pinnipedia, some Viverridae and Felidae...
. Panleukopenia is primarily spread through contact with an infected cat's bodily fluids, feces, or fleas. - RabiesRabiesRabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
in cats is a fatal disease transmitted by the bite of an infected mammalMammalMammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
, such as a dogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, raccoonRaccoonProcyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, batBatBats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
, or another cat. Animals with rabies suffer deterioration of the brain and tend to behave bizarrely and often aggressively, increasing the chances that they will bite another animal or a person and transmit the disease. Rabies is rare in many developed countries with more than 99% of all human deaths from rabies occurring in AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
which report thirty thousand deaths annually. In the United States, cats make up 4.6% of reported cases of rabies-infected animals.
Non-core
- Chlamydophila felisChlamydophila felisChlamydophila felis is a bacterium endemic among house cats worldwide, primarily causing inflammation of feline conjunctiva, rhinitis and respiratory problems. C. felis can be recovered from the stomach and reproductive tract. Zoonotic infection of humans with C. felis has been reported...
- Feline leukemia virusFeline leukemia virusFeline leukemia virus is a retrovirus that infects cats. FeLV can be transmitted between infected cats when the transfer of saliva or nasal secretions is involved. If not defeated by the animal’s immune system, the virus can be lethal...
(FeLV) is a retrovirusRetrovirusA retrovirus is an RNA virus that is duplicated in a host cell using the reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce DNA from its RNA genome. The DNA is then incorporated into the host's genome by an integrase enzyme. The virus thereafter replicates as part of the host cell's DNA...
transmitted between infected cats when the transfer of saliva or nasal secretions is involved, for example when sharing a feeding dish. If not defeated by the animal’s immune systemImmune systemAn immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
, the virus can be lethal. The disease is a virus, not a cancer. The name stems from the fact that the first disease associated with the virus was a form of leukemia. By the time it was discovered that the virus was not the same as leukemia, the misnomer had already found its way into the vocabulary of pet owners. - Feline immunodeficiency virusFeline immunodeficiency virusFeline immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that affects domesticated housecats worldwide and is the causative agent of feline AIDS. From 2.5% up to 4.4% of cats worldwide are infected with FIV...
(FIV), commonly known as Feline AIDS is a lentivirusLentivirusLentivirus is a genus of slow viruses of the Retroviridae family, characterized by a long incubation period...
that affects domesticated housecats worldwide. FeLV and FIV are in the same biological familyFamily (biology)In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, and are sometimes mistaken for one another. However, the viruses differ in many ways. Although many of the diseases caused by FeLV and FIV are similar, the specific ways in which they are caused also differs. However, a vaccine against this disease is not available in all countries. - BordetellaBordetellaBordetella is a genus of small , Gram-negative coccobacilli of the phylum proteobacteria. Bordetella species, with the exception of B. petrii, are obligate aerobes as well as highly fastidious, or difficult to culture. Three species are human pathogens ; one of these Bordetella is a genus of small...
Not recommended
The following vaccines are not recommended by the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) Feline Vaccine Advisory Panel due to either lack of evidence for effectiveness or high chance of adverse reaction.- Feline infectious peritonitisFeline infectious peritonitisFeline infectious peritonitis is a fatal incurable disease that affects cats. It is believed by some to be caused by Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus , which is a mutation of Feline Enteric Coronavirus - . Although there appears to be a connection between FIP and feline coronavirus, no clear...
(FIP)' is a fatal, incurable disease caused by Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus (FIPV), which is a mutation of Feline Enteric CoronavirusCoronavirusCoronaviruses are species in the genera of virus belonging to the subfamily Coronavirinae in the family Coronaviridae. Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and a helical symmetry. The genomic size of coronaviruses ranges from approximately 16 to 31...
(FECV/FeCoV). The mutated virus has the ability to invade and grow in certain white blood cellWhite blood cellWhite blood cells, or leukocytes , are cells of the immune system involved in defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials. Five different and diverse types of leukocytes exist, but they are all produced and derived from a multipotent cell in the bone marrow known as a...
s, namely macrophages. The immune system's response causes an intense inflammatory reactionInflammationInflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
in the containing tissues. This disease is generally fatal. However its incidence rate is roughly 1 in 5000 for households with one or two cats. - Giardia lambliaGiardia lambliaGiardia lamblia is a flagellated protozoan parasite that colonizes and reproduces in the small intestine, causing giardiasis. The giardia parasite attaches to the epithelium by a ventral adhesive disc, and reproduces via binary fission...
Controversy
In recent years, vaccination has become a controversial topic among veterinarians and pet owners. Recent studies have demonstrated that many vaccines are effective for several years, despite the common practice of "boosting" vaccines every year. This has particularly been demonstrated for the feline panleukopenia vaccine. For this reason, the American Veterinary Medical AssociationAmerican Veterinary Medical Association
The American Veterinary Medical Association , founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 81,500 U.S. veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services....
(AVMA) and American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) have developed vaccination guidelines recommending that FVRCP vaccinations generally be administered every 3 years, after completion of the kitten series of shots (which is needed due to maternal antibody interference).
Adverse effects
FVRCP vaccines have also come under scrutiny of late due to possible risks to long term health. A study at Colorado State University noted an association between vaccination with parenteral (injectable) FVRCP vaccinations and development of antibodies against feline kidney tissue. Antibody development is hypothesized to develop when the immune system reacts to protein contaminants from the cell line used to cultivate vaccinial viruses. The cell line in question, the Crandell-Rees Feline Kidney (CRFK) cell line, was derived from a cat kidney. It is currently unknown whether this antibody development can lead to renal disease, though a recent follow-up study demonstrated evidence of inflammation on re-biopsy samples from some of the study cats. Vaccine-associated sarcomaVaccine-associated sarcoma
A vaccine-associated sarcoma is a type of malignant tumor found in cats that has been linked to certain vaccines. VAS has become a concern for veterinarians and cat owners alike and has resulted in changes in recommended vaccine protocols...
, a type of malignant tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
has also occurred in association with FVRCP vaccines, though feline leukemia virus
Feline leukemia virus
Feline leukemia virus is a retrovirus that infects cats. FeLV can be transmitted between infected cats when the transfer of saliva or nasal secretions is involved. If not defeated by the animal’s immune system, the virus can be lethal...
(FeLV) and rabies virus
Rabies virus
The rabies virus is neurotropic virus that causes fatal disease in human and animals. Rabies transmission can occur through the saliva of animals....
vaccines are more commonly implicated.
Given the studies documenting long-term efficacy and the creation of vaccine guidelines by authoritative organization like the AAFP, many veterinarians have adjusted their vaccine schedules. Some practitioners offer blood tests that measure the cat's levels of protective antibodies to determine which cats need to be vaccinated more frequently. Due to the extremely deadly and contagious nature of panleukopenia, the AVMA and AAFP strongly advocate the appropriate use of vaccinations against panleukopenia.
In November 1996 Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force (VAFSTF) was formed. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the Veterinary Cancer Society (VCS) cooperated to respond to an increased incidence of soft tissue sarcomas occurring at vaccination sites. Veterinarians are advised to inject vaccines into leg tissue. Owners are advised to monitor injection sites for signs of tumors and contact their veterinarian immediately if one develops.
See also
- ATCvet code QI06ATCvet code QI06-QI06AA Inactivated viral vaccines:-QI06AA Inactivated viral vaccines:-QI06AA Inactivated viral vaccines::QI06AA01 Feline leukaemia virus:QI06AA02 Feline panleukopenia virus/parvovirus:QI06AA03 Rabies virus + feline rhinotracheitis virus + feline calicivirus...
Immunologicals for felidae (a list of ATCvet codes for feline vaccines)