General information

The feline morbillivirus (FeMV) belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Morbillivirus, which also includes canine distemper virus, rinderpest, pest of sheep and goats, measles (human) and cetacean morbillivirus. An infection with FeMV is associated with chronic tubulo-interstitial nephritis, which leads to chronic kidney failure, one of the most common causes of mortality in older cats. Since it’s discovery in China in 2012, FeMV has now been detected world-wide. Currently, 2 different FeMV- genotypes are known to exist, which probably lead to different clinical progressions. It is still unclear if FeMV infections lead directly to chronical kidney failure, or if the virus possesses a trophism for already damaged kidney tissue. FeMV infections are not limited to cats, but has also been found in opossums with pneumonia and nephritis and in dogs. However, in dogs the virus has so far only been described in conjunction with the Canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC).