{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T10:19:27Z","timestamp":1779963567883,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779926400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Animal Welfare Flanders","award":["MB 20240528"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MB 20240528"]}]},{"name":"Animal Welfare Flanders","award":["A24 OC 0208"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["A24 OC 0208"]}]},{"name":"UGent FIP foundation"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Feline coronavirus (FCoV) is widespread in multi-cat environments. Although most infections are asymptomatic, FCoV may mutate into a virulent form responsible for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a progressive and mostly fatal systemic disease. Controlling FCoV circulation in multi-cat environments is challenging, but desirable for feline health and breeding management. In this study, we evaluated the impact of stepwise management protocols with increasing stringency on viral shedding in 20 catteries across Flanders, Belgium. Each cattery was allocated to one of three eradication protocols: voluntary (n = 10), stimulatory (n = 5) or obligatory (n = 5). Rectal swabs were collected at the start (T0) and twice after implementation (T6m = 6 months, T12m = 12 months) and tested by RT-qPCR. With the voluntary protocol, the proportion of shedders decreased significantly from 78.6% at T0 to 62.4% at T6m and 45.5% at T12m, though all catteries remained positive (minimum one shedder). The stimulatory protocol reduced shedding from 70.5% (T0) to 30.5% at T6m and 12.9% at T12m, with two of five catteries achieving a negative status. The obligatory eradication protocol achieved the most pronounced effect, with the shedding declining from 55.5% at the start to 17.1% at T6m and 2.5% at T12m, and four of five catteries testing negative by T12m. These findings demonstrate that cattery-level FCoV control is feasible, with an effectiveness depending on the stringency of management. At the end, FCoV-negative catteries can sell certified FCoV-negative kittens.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18060614","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]],"date-time":"2026-05-28T09:57:43Z","timestamp":1779962263000},"page":"614","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Successful Eradication of Feline Coronavirus in Breeding Catteries Paves the Way to Prevent Feline Infectious Peritonitis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-3578-5933","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luna","family":"Vanden Buijs","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke-Melle, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1598-3057","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jolien","family":"Van Cleemput","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke-Melle, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emmanuel","family":"Abatih","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 299, 9000 Ghent, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5470-0713","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hans","family":"Nauwynck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke-Melle, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3245","DOI":"10.3390\/v4113245","article-title":"Biogenesis and dynamics of the coronavirus replicative structures","volume":"4","author":"Hagemeijer","year":"2012","journal-title":"Viruses"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2207","DOI":"10.1007\/s00705-003-0162-1","article-title":"A comparative sequence analysis to revise the current taxonomy of the family Coronaviridae","volume":"148","author":"Gonzalez","year":"2003","journal-title":"Arch. 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