PLEURAL EFFUSION ASSOCIATED WITH FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS IN A KITTEN: MOLECULAR AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

This study was aimed at investigating the molecular typing of coronavirus and histopathological findings of the lungs in a kitten with feline infectious peritonitis. A stray kitten, which was in respiratory distress and had not responded to a one-week course of antibiotic treatment, was referred to the Animal Hospital of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Atatürk University. In the physical examination, acute respiratory failure developed and did not respond emergency therapeutic intervention. Molecular and histopathological examinations were performed. Feline coronavirus type I was determined by sequence analysis of the lung and pleural fluid samples. Macroscopic findings revealed hemorrhagic fluid in the chest cavity. Fibrinoid necrosis, desquamation, edema and lymphoplasmacytic cell infiltrations were observed in the histopathological examination of the lungs. Thus, feline coronavirus type I was determined to cause severe lesions with edema, necrosis and lymphoplasmacytic cell infiltrations in the lungs and respiratory distress