Feline Calicivirus: From Genetic Evolutionary and Clinical Diversity to Control Strategies in a Review

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is recognized as one of the most prevalent etiological agents of disease incats, distinguished by its high transmissibility and a remarkable capacity for immune evasion.Following the acute phase of infection, some cats may persist as chronic carriers or experiencerecurrent cycles of infection with different or mutated strains, making them a major Clinicalmanifestations of infection often include upper respiratory tract infections, oral ulcers, andexcessive salivation, in addition to gingivitis and stomatitis in other cases. In some forms, mayprogress to a more severe type known as Virulent Systemic Feline Calicivirus (VSFCV), which isassociated with high mortality rates. Because of high transcription polymerase error rates in RNAvirus so it has given it a strong ability for genetic adaptation, allowing it to respond quickly toenvironmental instability.This phenomena allow it to undergo severe genetic and antigenicdiversity, leaning in the develoment of new variants that complicate the process of controlling itlater. FCV is associated with a wide range of clinical signs, starting from asymptomatic infectionsand relatively mild oral and respiratory illnesses to severe lameness with or without systemicinfections with high mortality rate.It is worth noting that a percentage of cats that recover fromacute infection remain infected with chronic infection,and it is believed that continues evolutionof the virus within these animals helps it evade the host immune response. Although these chroniccases may represent a minority, they play a pivotal role in the epidemiology and spread of thevirus.