How long can a cat carry coronavirus, and is there a test for FIP?

It can take around 3-4 weeks for a titer test to become positive after exposure to feline coronavirus (FCoV). However, the vast majority of cats have been exposed to coronavirus at some point in life and a positive titer does not provide any useful information regarding the treatment, prognosis, or clinical signs potentially associated with this virus. Only 5-10% of cats may convert a coronavirus infection to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), but there is no way of knowing which cats may make this viral seroconversion. I hope this helps to clear up any confusion!

I'm sorry to hear that! FIP is a nasty disease in cats, so I definitely understand your worry. I will try to answer your questions and give you some basic information about how this disease works - it's a bit more complicated than most other infectious diseases! FIP is caused by a coronavirus - coronaviruses themselves are extremely common in cats, and almost all kittens are exposed to them at some point. In a very few cats, the virus mutates into a much more dangerous form and causes FIP - this seems to be partly related to genetics, but it's not fully understood why this happens in some cats but not others. So although the coronavirus can be passed from cat to cat, FIP is not really considered to be a contagious disease because most cats who are exposed to a coronavirus will never develop the more dangerous, mutated form that leads to FIP. So, the bottom line is that your kitten will probably be just fine. There isn't much you can do at this point, since there is no diagnostic test for FIP. Although a vaccine does exist, it isn't recommended by the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) because it hasn't been shown to be effective and can actually cause illness in some cases. I would recommend preventing your kitten from having any further contact with your friend's cat to be on the safe side, and monitoring your kitty for any signs of a problem - but it's very likely that she will be just fine :)

Good question. This is a complex disease that most cats are exposed to. Most cats that are just exposed but don't end up sick with the disease are going to come up positive for antibodies against the virus. However, a pet is only confirmed to have this disease if they have positive Antigens. Therefore, since your pet Sonia had a positive antibody and negative antigen, this means she was exposed to the virus, but has not developed the full blown disease. With this said, cats can at any point do what is called seroconvert to the active strain of the virus and become sick since they are carriers of the gene. If your pet becomes sick in the future, rechecking the antigen levels is highly recommended. Because your pet is a carrier for Coronovirus (FCoV), loose stool may be seen, but nothing more severe than that. Here is more information on Coronavirus (FCoV) in pets and also information on how pets can seroconvert into full blown FIP (FIPV) from exposure to this virus. ---> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951308 ---> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951549

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! FIP is hard to diagnose. It is usually a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning all other diseases have been ruled out. The most accurate test is PCR of belly or chest fluid when the cat has the wet or effusive form of FIP. There is also the Dry or granulomatous form which likes the brain and eye. A simple blood test is riddled with false negatives and positives. Simple put a cat positive for coronavirus doesn't mean it has the mutated viral form that causes FIP. Unfortunately Mia's eye problem could be from FIP, but also many other things and sadly there is no 100% way to tell you that. FIP is not curable, it is a terrible disease. If Mia is doing well then I'd take that. And see if anything happens in the future. I hope this helps and I wish Mia the best!

FIP is caused by a mutation of feline coronavirus and the disease itself is not contagious. Feline coronavirus is very contagious but in most cats will not cause symptoms or even will only cause mild diarrhea. Only 1-5% of cats with coronavirus will develop FIP. I think its fair to be cautious but the likelihood of your cat developing FIP is very low. If you prefer peace of mind then maybe consider helping your sister find another pet sitter.

Coronavirus itself is in most cases harmless to cats and many cats will have a coronavirus infection that will go unnoticed. The problem in a very small minority of cases is that this virus mutate into a new form and becomes what is known as FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) which is a fatal disease. The mutated virus cannot be transmitted to another cat. To summarise, risk is minor, but still exist.

Hello. Please do not worry about this. While coronavirus was cultured in the nose of a few dogs that lived in homes with infected people, they were, & stayed completely normal. Nothing has been described in cats. Just about every species has its own coronavirus unique to them. It is a very unique set of circumstances that PRESUMABLY allowed the virus to jump from animals in China to a human host, no worries about this happening in our pet community. So yes, the feline coronavirus can mutate to a virulent form that leads to FIP, but the thing to remember is this is an enteric, or gut virus, not a respiratory one that we are seeing in people. There is absolutely no connection between Covid-19 & the Feline Coronavirus. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.