Role of circulating antibodies in feline infectious peritonitis after oral infection.

Abstract

Apparent disease was experimentally Produced by intragastric inoculation with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus in 4 of 20 seropositive kittens, while all of 30 seronegative kittens had no signs of illness except for some enteritis after inoculation. Lesions in visceral organs as well as the serosa seemed to be produced depending upon the presence of high-titered serum antibody, while some other factors should be involved in the disease production. Lesions produced in the serosa and abdominal organs were characterized by fibrinous serositis with necrotic and pyogranulomatous vasculitis and lympho-reticular tissue necrosis. Viral antigen was detected within macrophages in those lesions by immunofluorescence or immunoperoxidase assay.