Outbreak of Feline Calici virus (FCV) in New England

Recently, in Bellingham 24 cats fell ill with a fatal feline calicivirus (FCV) infection in a small animal hospital. A few years ago, a similar outbreak was seen in Northern California (Vet. Microbiol. 73 (2000) 281). All the ill cats had loss of appetite, high fever, labored respirations, mouth ulcers, facial and limb edema, jaundice, and pancreatitis.

Previous vaccination, with many doses of FCV-F9-based live calicivirus vaccine, did not protect. As many as 32% of all ill cats died. The strain of the virus FCV responsible for the outbreak was distinct from the FCV-F9 strain which is there in most vaccines and from the one that caused the earlier outbreak.

J Feline Med Surg. 2003 Aug;5(4):217-26.. An epizootic of highly virulent feline calicivirus disease in a hospital setting in New England. Schorr-Evans EM, Poland A, Johnson WE, Pedersen NC. Bellingham Animal Hospital, 112 Mendon St., 02019, Bellingham,MA, USA