Coronavirus kills thousands of cats in Cyprus Zelenskyj: more dependent on drones +++ Switzerland increases winter aid

In addition to Sars-CoV-2, there are numerous other coronaviruses. A pathogen found in cats has mutated dangerously in Cyprus. According to analyses, thousands of cats on the island have died since the beginning of this year from the increasingly aggressive coronavirus.

Britain also reported its first imported case in October. There is a large population of homeless cats in Cyprus, which, like southern European street dogs, are often taken to other parts of Europe and the rest of the world.

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a fatal disease in cats if left untreated, explains Katrin Hartmann from the small animal clinic of the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich. It is a disease that has long been known worldwide and is caused by the feline coronavirus (FCoV). This pathogen also occurs in Germany, but usually causes no symptoms or at most mild diarrhea.

A new virus, called feline coronavirus-23 (FCoV-23), has now been detected in Cyprus and Britain. It is a mixture of the original FCoV and the canine coronavirus CCoV, a research team led by Christine Tait-Burkard of the University of Edinburgh recently reported in a study that has not yet been independently verified.

The virus is likely transmitted directly from cat to cat, spreads quickly and infects cats of all ages. Above all, according to current knowledge, cats with the new variant develop feline infectious peritonitis much more often, as Hartmann said. (saw/sda/dpa)