Vaccination and Antibody Testing in Cats

Herman Egberink*, Tadeusz Frymus, Katrin Hartmann, Karin Möstl, Diane D Addie, Sándor Belák, Corine Boucraut-Baralon, Regina Hofmann-Lehmann, Albert Lloret, Fulvio Marsilio, Maria Grazia Pennisi, Séverine Tasker, Etienne Thiry, Uwe Truyen, Margaret J Hosie

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Vaccines protect cats from serious diseases by inducing antibodies and cellular immune responses. Primary vaccinations and boosters are given according to vaccination guidelines provided by industry and veterinary organizations, based on minimal duration of immunity (DOI). For certain diseases, particularly feline panleukopenia, antibody titres correlate with protection. For feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus, a similar correlation is absent, or less clear. In this review, the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) presents current knowledge and expert opinion on the use of antibody testing in different situations. Antibody testing can be performed either in diagnostic laboratories, or in veterinary practice using point of care (POC) tests, and can be applied for several purposes, such as to provide evidence that a successful immune response was induced following vaccination. In adult cats, antibody test results can inform the appropriate re-vaccination interval. In shelters, antibody testing can support the control of FPV outbreaks by identifying potentially unprotected cats. Antibody testing has also been proposed to support decisions on optimal vaccination schedules for the individual kitten. However, such testing is still expensive and it is considered impractical to monitor the decline of maternally derived antibodies.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1602
Pages (from-to)1-9
Number of pages9
JournalViruses
Volume14
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2022

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Calicivirus, Feline
  • Cat Diseases
  • Cats
  • Feline Panleukopenia
  • Feline Panleukopenia Virus
  • Female
  • Vaccination/veterinary
  • Viral Vaccines

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