2026/08/07 by Chutchai Piewbang, Magdalena Novia Devina Putri, Aisyah Nikmatuz Zahro +4
paper · doi:10.1177/03009858261472500
published in Veterinary Pathology (SAGE Publications)
Feline gammaherpesvirus 1 (FcaGHV1) is a recently identified member of the Gammaherpesvirinae detected in domestic cats; however, its tissue distribution and pathological relevance remain incompletely defined. This study investigated the localization of FcaGHV1 in naturally infected cats and evaluated potential relationships between viral presence and histopathologic lesions. Fresh tissues from 42 domestic cats submitted for routine necropsy in Thailand were screened for FcaGHV1 using quantitative polymerase chain reaction targeting the glycoprotein B gene, followed by sequencing confirmation. Corresponding formalin-fixed tissues were examined histologically, and viral localization was assessed using chromogenic in situ hybridization (ISH). FcaGHV1 was detected in 4 of 42 cats (10%). Viral loads were highest in lymph nodes and spleens, and ISH localized viral nucleic acids to histiocytes and small lymphocytes within lymphoid tissues. In 2 infected cats, pulmonary lesions characterized by interstitial fibrosis and vascular remodeling were observed, and viral hybridization signals were detected within infiltrating mononuclear cells, spindle-shaped interstitial cells, and vascular-associated stromal cells in affected regions. Based on this observation, an additional retrospective cohort of 18 cats with histologically diagnosed pulmonary fibrosis was examined using ISH. Viral hybridization signals were detected in 3 of 18 lungs (17%) and were primarily localized within fibrotic areas. Together, these findings demonstrate tissue-level evidence of FcaGHV1 localization in lymphoid organs and pulmonary lesions of naturally infected cats. The repeated detection of viral nucleic acids within fibrotic lung lesions across independent cohorts suggests an association between FcaGHV1 localization and pulmonary remodeling; however, the biological significance of this observation remains uncertain.