Incidence, Prevalence, and Risk Factors Associated with Feline Herpes Virus Infection in Cheetah Populations

Feline herpesvirus (FHV), a viral infection endemic to North American captive cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus, causes upper-respiratory disease and debilitating cutaneous ulcers. Acute infection has led to euthanasia of several animals, impeding breeding efforts and affecting captive population sustainability. Vaccination does not always prevent disease and treatment is often ineffective, making it increasingly important to reduce risk of infection through identification and management of high-risk individuals. Current management practices, such as quarantine of infected animals and preventing maternal transmission by hand-rearing cubs of infected dams, have resulted largely from studies of FHV infection in domestic cats. The unusual and severe manifestation of this disease in captive cheetahs makes it increasingly important to identify species-specific risk factors to reduce FHV incidence and prevalence.

Data from the Zoological Society of San Diego suggests that FHV may have a more significant effect in captive cheetah populations than previously recognized. We therefore propose to conduct an epidemiologic investigation examining incidence, prevalence, and risk factors associated with FHV in captive cheetahs. Medical records will be examined from all cheetahs housed in participating institutions from 1990–2005. A database will be developed describing animal characteristics (age, sex, birth year, death year, institution, captive or wild reared), vaccination history (vaccine used, dosage, dates of initial vaccination and boosters), and dates and methods of FHV diagnosis and clinical signs (epiphora, keratitis, corneal ulcers, pneumonia, skin lesions, ocular discharge, conjunctivitis, uveitis, and/or blindness). Symptoms will be correlated to known disease-positive animals to identify the most common clinical manifestations and to develop appropriate FHV case definitions. Numbers of animals with new infections and the proportion of the population infected will be determined. Risk factors for clinical disease will be determined by analyzing data from the full cohort of cheetahs in participating institutions. A multivariable logistic regression model will be fit to the data to evaluate concurrent effects of multiple risk factors associated with disease.

The management implications of this disease are important to our collection and to zoological institutions throughout the world. Results will be used to develop reasonable policies and make management recommendations designed to mitigate and reduce risk of clinical infection in this highly endangered species.