Persistent cutaneous ulcers associated with feline herpesvirus type 1 infection in a cheetah

Abstract

Persistent cutaneous ulcers developed in a female cheetah cub after an episode of rhinotracheitis. When they were 3 weeks old, the cub and a male littermate developed mucopurulent oculonasal discharge consistent with feline herpesvirus type 1 infection (feline viral rhinotracheitis). The male cub was weaned and its lesions resolved. The female cub remained with the dam until the cub was 3 months old, at which time plaque-like lesions developed on the eye margins and muzzle. These plaques regressed over the next month and were replaced with cutaneous ulcers ranging from 1 to 10 mm in diameter. Feline herpesvirus type 1 was isolated from biopsy specimens collected from the ulcers. Cutaneous ulcers are uncommon manifestations of feline herpesvirus infections and have not been reported in other exotic fields. A proposed susceptibility to viral infections related to low genetic diversity has been proposed in cheetahs, and may be involved in the pathogenesis of persistent herpetic ulcers.