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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Treatment of Feline Herpesvirus with Cidofovir

Fontenelle, J. P., C. C. Powell, et al. (2008). "Effect of topical ophthalmic application of cidofovir on experimentally induced primary ocular feline herpesvirus-1 infection in cats." Am J Vet Res 69(2): 289-93.

The efficacy of twice-daily topical application of 0.5% cidofovir in cats with experimentally induced ocular feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) infection was evaluated in this project. Twelve cats were infected with an FHV-1 field strain and divided into treatment and control groups. The treatment group received 1 drop of cidofovir solution in both eyes twice daily for 2 weeks, starting on day 4. The control group received 1 drop of the same solution but without cidofovir. The cats were evaluated with a standard scoring system for 24 days. Ocular viral shedding was assessed with PCR every 3 days. During the treatment period, the clinical scores and amount of viral shedding were significantly lower in the treatment group compared to the control group. No systemic or local adverse effects were seen in the cats treated with cidofovir, and all cats were monitored for at least 1 year following the end of the project. Cidofovir may represent an effective new treatment for FHV-1 with the added benefits of causing less local irritation than currently available topical treatments, and requiring less frequent administration.
>> PubMed abstract

For further reading:
van der Meulen, K., B. Garre, et al. (2006). "In vitro comparison of antiviral drugs against feline herpesvirus 1." BMC Vet Res 2: 13.
>> Free full text article

Sandmeyer, L. S., C. B. Keller, et al. (2005). "Effects of cidofovir on cell death and replication of feline herpesvirus-1 in cultured feline corneal epithelial cells." Am J Vet Res 66(2): 217-22.
>> PubMed abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library


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