CONCLUSION

FPL is often described as a fully preventable disease. But despite the availability of inexpensive vaccines that confer long immunity and an in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease, it remains one of the most common infectious feline diseases diagnosed at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and continues to be a problem in cat populations throughout the country. Practitioner awareness of FPL will allow efficient diagnosis of the disease and enable effective implementation of treatment and strategies to control outbreaks. Further, there is growing concern that an upsurge in feline diseases currently kept at bay by effective vaccines could follow the trend toward reduced vaccination in cats. While reducing FPL vaccination from the traditional annual regimen in adult cats is reasonable, decreasing the number of FPL vaccinations given to kittens would be extremely detrimental. FPL virus is both hardy and ubiquitous, and client education that expresses the importance of repeated vaccination in kittens to ensure development of immunity has become an even more important part of client education in the face of changing vaccination strategies.

Alexandra I. Brower, DVM, DACVP
Department of Pathobiological Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine
Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53706

Kathy Toohey-Kurth, MS, PhD
Department of Pathobiological Sciences
School of Veterinary Medicine
Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53706

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