Do cats pose a risk to our Health?
February 14, 2024
Cats—both big and small—are an enormous part of our lives and have significantly contributed to history and society as we know it. However, we need to keep in mind that the animal companions that we hold near and dear could also pose a health risk.
New feline coronavirus blamed for thousands of cat deaths in Cyprus
Now, researchers have identified a possible culprit: a new strain of feline coronavirus that has coopted key RNA sequences from a highly virulent dog pathogen called pantropic canine coronavirus (pCCoV). The findings, posted as a preprint on bioRxiv by collaborators in the UK and Cyprus, could help explain how severe illness managed to spread so widely among cats on the island; see https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.08.566182v2
“They’ve done a great job in identifying what looks to be a very interesting and concerning virus,” says Gary Whittaker, a virologist at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine ( see; https://www.science.org/content/article/new-feline-coronavirus-blamed-thousands-cat-deaths-cyprus) . Although canine-feline coronavirus crossovers have been reported before, he says, this is the first documented case of a cat coronavirus combining with pCCoV, apparently leading to a “perfect storm of both disease and transmissibility.”
Managing Microbes: Antibiotic and Anti-viral Stewardship
August 25, 2022
Antimicrobial stewardship isn’t just about antibiotics. Viral evolution is rapid in response to outside pressures and advances in antiviral drugs mean it is increasingly important that we understand how to be good stewards of these important antimicrobials.
Getting to the heart of the matter
March 24 2021
Its been a year since SARS-CoV-2 was documented in tigers in the Bronx Zoo. In the intervening time, data has been trickling in on how COVID-19 affects cats. We share what we’ve been watching and our thoughts on what may be coming next.
COVID-19 and Wildlife: A One Health Perspective
Dec 9 2020
People aren’t the only species that can be infected with COVID-19. What can we do to prevent spill-over into wildlife populations? Keeping our feline companions indoors helps keep them out of harms way while safeguarding native species.
Nov 13 2020
Much ado about mink
What’s happening with Denmark’s mink farms and what does it mean for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? Laura Goodman and Gary Whittaker tackle the problem of mutant viruses in this week’s blog.
Nov 1 2020
Rethinking feline coronavirus outcomes
Dr. Alison Stout writes a compelling letter to JAVMA outlining the similarities between FIP and COVID-19. Although the viruses that cause these diseases are distinct, some of the outcomes are strikingly similar. Approaching the pandemic from a one heath perspective can enhance our understanding of coronaviral infections and lead to advances in human and animal health. SARS-CoV-2 is not limited by species bounds and we should not limit our understanding of this global crisis to the human sphere.
This letter to the editor was published in JAVMA on November 1, 2020. It is openly available on Cornell’s eCommons where it has been reprinted with the permission of the AVMA.