An update on feline infectious peritonitis

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease caused by feline coronavirus (FCoV). Most FCoV-infected cats show only mild clinical signs, but in 5–12%, FIP develops. Pathogenesis is believed to involve mutation of the virus within the cat to a virulent, FIP-causing form, but the exact mutations required are not known and other factors, including host immune response, are also implicated. Validation of established techniques and advances in novel techniques have improved the toolkit with which clinicians can diagnose FIP, though diagnosis can still be challenging and test results must be interpreted in the context of signalment, history and clinical signs. Exciting potential treatments have emerged recently, but some have not withstood the rigours of robust clinical trials and the remainder are yet to undergo this level of scrutiny. Though attempts to identify the genetic basis for FIP resistance have implicated numerous genes, the importance of any single gene in the complex pathogenesis of FIP has been questioned.