Feline panleukopenia outbreak: warn owners and register with PETscan
The feline panleukopenia virus, also known as the feline parvovirus (FPV), causes severe, often bloody diarrhea, dehydration, and high mortality in cats. The stray cat organisation Stichting Zwerfkatten Nederland has observed an increase in feline panleukopenia cases among unvaccinated stray cats and has contacted the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University to alert veterinarians and pet owners.

The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine aims to monitor feline panleukopenia in the Netherlands to provide targeted advice. Veterinarians across the country are asked for their assistance. If you diagnose feline panleukopenia in a cat using a rapid antigen test or qPCR, please register the case in the PETscan system.
Rapid Diagnosis is Crucial
Mirjam Duijvestijn from the Veterinary Microbiological Diagnostic Center of the faculty explains why high alertness is necessary: “Rapid diagnosis is important to stop the spread of this contagious virus as early as possible. Unfortunately, there is no rapid test specifically for diagnosing feline panleukopenia in cats. However, an antigen rapid test for canine parvovirus can be used. This test, performed on feces, is not validated for FPV but can be used due to cross-reactivity. If this test is positive, the symptoms match, and the cat has not been recently vaccinated, the result is reliable. The test has moderate sensitivity and may occasionally miss infections though. The most reliable and most sensitive test is the qPCR test.”
Risk for domestic cats
The virus can remain infectious in the environment for a long time. Therefore, domestic cats can also become infected and fall ill if they are not sufficiently or not vaccinated. It is strongly advised to vaccinate every cat against this deadly disease. After vaccination, a cat typically develops strong and long-lasting immunity. Pet owners can contact their veterinarian for vaccination advice.
Other infectious diseases such as canine parvovirus and leptospirosis can also be reported via PETscan. Registration and reporting are free. PETscan is integrated into the Animana and Viva online practice management systems. If your practice is not yet connected to PETscan, please register now (in Dutch).
Thank you in advance for your help!
Mirjam Duijvestijn, Els Broens, Ruth van der Leij, Josanne Verhagen, Michelle van Leeuwen