Journal Articles
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Item First Detection and Genetic Characterization of Felis catus Papillomavirus Type 11, the First Treisetapapillomavirus Type to Infect Domestic Cats(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2025-05-14) Munday JS; French AF; Broughton L; Lin X; Bond SD; Kraberger S; Knox MA; De Martino LDomestic cats are currently recognized to be infected by 10 different Felis catus papillomavirus (FcaPV) types that are classified into three genera. Examination of a skin sample from a cat with presumptive allergic dermatitis revealed clusters of large amphophilic intracytoplasmic bodies within epidermal cells. A 312 bp section of DNA from a novel PV type was amplified from the sample, while the entire 7569 bp genome was amplified and sequenced from a skin swab. The novel PV, which was designated FcaPV11, was predicted to contain coding regions for five early proteins and two late ones. Phylogenetic analysis of the L1 gene sequence showed FcaPV11 clusters with members of the Treisetapapillomavirus genus and shares less than 64% similarity with any of the previously fully sequenced FcaPV types. FcaPV11 DNA was not detected in a series of neoplastic and non-neoplastic skin samples from an additional 30 cats. These results show, for the first time, that cats can be infected by members of the Treisetapapillomavirus genus and suggest PVs in this genus may have co-evolved with a common Carnivora ancestor. While FcaPV11 was considered unlikely to have caused skin lesions in this cat, the prominent PV-induced cell changes indicate the PV can influence cell regulation. This suggests FcaPV11 may have the potential to cause skin disease in cats.Item First report of a papillomavirus-induced viral plaque in the mouth of a dog(John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of ESVD and ACVD, 2025-05-15) Munday JS; Hobson P; Bell CMCanis familiaris papillomavirus type 16 was amplified from a mass in the mouth of a dog. The mass was histologically consistent with a pigmented viral plaque. This is the first report of an oral viral plaque in a dog. Histological investigation is essential to allow differentiation from an oral melanoma.Item Papillomaviruses and Papillomaviral Disease in Dogs and Cats: A Comprehensive Review.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-12-01) Munday JS; Knight CG; Materniak-Kornas M; Rola-Łuszczak M; Woźniakowski GPapillomaviruses (PVs) frequently infect humans as well as non-human species. While most PV infections are asymptomatic, PVs can also cause hyperplastic papillomas (warts) as well as pre-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions. In this review, the life cycle of PVs is discussed, along with the mechanisms by which PVs cause hyperplastic and neoplastic diseases. The humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to PVs are reviewed, giving context to the later discussion on the use of vaccines to reduce canine and feline PV-associated disease. Both dogs and cats are infected by numerous different PV types classified into multiple different PV genera. The taxonomic classification of PVs is reviewed, along with the significance of this classification. The PV-associated diseases of dogs and cats are then described. These descriptions include the clinical presentation of the disease, the causative PV types, the histological features that allow diagnosis, and, where appropriate, possible treatment options. The review is comprehensive and contains the latest information about PVs and the diseases they cause in dogs and cats.Item Longitudinal assessment of systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.(Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2024-09-26) Seo J; Novo Matos J; Munday JS; Hunt H; Connolly DJ; Luis Fuentes VBACKGROUND: The proportion of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) that lose systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM) in the long term is unknown. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Cats with HCM will lose SAM in the long term. Loss of SAM will be associated with greater age, longer scan-interval, and altered left ventricular (LV) dimensions. ANIMALS: Sixty unsedated cats with HCM, not receiving beta blockers or pimobendan. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study from 2 referral centers. Cats were eligible if they had been diagnosed with HCM and had a repeat echocardiogram ≥1 year later. Clinical and echocardiographic data of the left heart variables were collected. RESULTS: Thirty-eight cats had SAM at the initial scan. After a median follow-up time of 2.1 years (range: 1.0-5.9), 7 cats had lost SAM (18%) and 5 cats (23%) gained SAM. On follow-up, cats with SAM at the initial scan had a larger left atrium (P = .037), lower left atrial fractional shortening (P = .014), greater LV internal diameter in end-systole (P = .002), and lower LV fractional shortening (P < .001). Four cats with SAM developed congestive heart failure. There were no new cases of congestive heart failure or change in left heart variables in cats without SAM at the initial scan. The gain or loss of SAM was not associated with age or time between scans. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Similar proportions of cats gained or lost SAM. Cats with SAM at baseline had more evidence of disease progression than cats without SAM.Item Prevalence of cardiomyopathy and cardiac mortality in a colony of non-purebred cats in New Zealand.(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-09-29) Seo J; Owen R; Hunt H; Luis Fuentes V; Connolly DJ; Munday JSAims To evaluate the prevalence of subclinical cardiomyopathy and cardiac mortality in a research colony of non-purebred cats, established as a model of the wider cat population in New Zealand. Methods All apparently healthy, compliant, non-pregnant, non-neonatal cats in the colony at the Centre for Feline Nutrition (Massey University, Palmerston North, NZ) underwent physical examination and echocardiography using a 4.4–6.2-MHz probe by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist. Cardiac phenotype was classified following current guidelines. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) phenotype was defined as an end-diastolic left ventricular wall thickness ≥ 6 mm. Colony mortality data from February 2012 to February 2022 was reviewed to determine cardiac mortality. Results Cats (n = 132; 65 females and 67 males) included in the study had a median age of 4.1 (IQR 3.0–8.0) years. Thirty-two (24%) cats had a heart murmur, and three (2%) cats had an arrhythmia. Echocardiography revealed heart disease in 24 (18.2%) cats, including 23 with an HCM phenotype and one with a restrictive cardiomyopathy phenotype. Of the cats with the HCM phenotype, 3/23 had systemic hypertension or hyperthyroidism or both, and these cats were excluded from the final diagnosis of HCM (20/132; 15.2 (95% CI = 9.5–22.4)%). Between 2012 and 2022, 168 colony cats died, with 132 undergoing post-mortem examination. Heart disease was considered the cause of death in 7/132 (5.3%; 95% CI = 2.2–10.6%) cats; five had HCM, one a congenital heart defect, and one myocarditis. The overall prevalence of death related to HCM in the colony during this period was 3.8% (95% CI = 1.2–8.6%). Three cats with HCM and the cat with a congenital heart defect died unexpectedly without prior clinical signs, while congestive heart failure was observed prior to death in two cats with HCM and the cat with myocarditis. Additionally, 30/132 (22.7%) cats had cardiac abnormalities but died for non-cardiac reasons. Conclusions Subclinical cardiomyopathy, specifically HCM, was common in cats in the colony. Given that the colony originated as a convenience selection of non-purebred cats in New Zealand, the true prevalence of HCM in the wider New Zealand population is likely to fall within the 95% CI (9.5–22%). The proportion of deaths of colony cats due to HCM was lower (3.8%) supporting the conclusion that subclinical cardiomyopathy may not progress to clinical disease causing death. Clinical relevance Veterinarians should be aware of the high prevalence of subclinical HCM when treating cats. Abbreviations CAM: Systolic anterior motion of the chordae tendineae; CFN: Centre for Feline Nutrition; HCM: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; LA/Ao: Left atrial to aortic ratio; LV FS: Left ventricular fractional shortening; LVIDd: Left ventricular internal diameters in end-diastole; LVIDs: Left ventricular internal diameter in end-systole; LVWT: Max Maximum left ventricular wall thickness; SAM: Systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve; 2D: Two-dimensionalItem Prevalence of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and ALMS1 Variant in Sphynx Cats in New Zealand(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-09-10) Seo J; Loh Y; Connolly DJ; Luis Fuentes V; Dutton E; Hunt H; Munday JS; Montoya-Alonso JARecently, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Sphynx cats has been associated with a variant in the gene encoding Alström syndrome protein 1 (ALMS1). The primary aims of this study were to describe the prevalence of HCM in Sphynx cats in New Zealand, and to assess the association between HCM and the ALMS1 variant in this population. In this prospective study, 55 apparently healthy Sphynx cats from registered Sphynx breeders and pet owners in New Zealand were screened by a cardiologist. A total of 42 of these cats had a repeat cardiac examination after median 1.8 years (range: 1.6-2.2). The frequency of the ALMS1 variant was 70.9% (11 homozygous and 28 heterozygous). At the median age of 5.8 years (range: 2.4-13.1), the prevalence of HCM was 40% (20 out of 55 cats). Three cats with HCM died during the study with congestive heart failure. All three cats had focal but extensive myocardial ischemia or infarction at necropsy. The ALMS1 variant was not associated with the HCM diagnosis. In summary, HCM was common in the studied cohort, suggesting Sphynx cats are predisposed to this disease. While the ALMS1 variant was also frequently detected, it was not associated with HCM in this population.Item Canis Familiaris Papillomavirus Type 26: A Novel Papillomavirus of Dogs and the First Canine Papillomavirus within the Omegapapillomavirus Genus.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-04-12) Munday JS; Bond SD; Piripi S; Soulsby SJ; Knox MA; Christensen NDomestic dogs are currently recognized as being infected by 25 different canine papillomavirus (CPV) types classified into three genera. A short sequence from a novel CPV type was amplified, along with CPV1, from a papilloma (wart) from the mouth of a dog. The entire 7499 bp genome was amplified, and CPV26 contained putative coding regions that were predicted to produce four early proteins and two late ones. The ORF L1 showed less than 62% similarity for all previously sequenced CPV types but over 69% similarity to multiple Omegapapillomavirus types from a variety of Caniform species including the giant panda, Weddel seal, and polar bear. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed CPV26 clusters within the Omegapapillomavirus genus. Specific primers were used to investigate the presence of CPV26 DNA within a series of 37 canine proliferative lesions. CPV26 DNA was amplified from one lesion, a cutaneous papilloma that also contained CPV6. This is the first time a PV type within the Omegapapillomavirus genus has been detected in a non-domestic species and this provides evidence that the omegapapillomaviruses infected a common ancestor of, and then co-evolved with, the Caniform species. Whether CPV26 causes disease is uncertain, but the absence of an E7 protein may suggest low pathogenicity.Item Development of a Nomogram to Predict the Outcome for Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcoma.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-03-29) Bray JP; Munday JS; Dobson J; Hayes A; Hughes KSoft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are common cutaneous or subcutaneous neoplasms in dogs. Most STSs are initially treated by surgical excision, and local recurrence may develop in almost 20% of patients. Currently, it is difficult to predict which STS will recur after excision, but this ability would greatly assist patient management. In recent years, the nomogram has emerged as a tool to allow oncologists to predict an outcome from a combination of risk factors. The aim of this study was to develop a nomogram for canine STSs and determine if the nomogram could predict patient outcomes better than individual tumour characteristics. The current study provides the first evidence in veterinary oncology to support a role for the nomogram to assist with predicting the outcome for patients after surgery for STSs. The nomogram developed in this study accurately predicted tumour-free survival in 25 patients but failed to predict recurrence in 1 patient. Overall, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values for the nomogram were 96%, 45%, 45%, and 96%, respectively (area under the curve: AUC = 0.84). This study suggests a nomogram could play an important role in helping to identify patients who could benefit from revision surgery or adjuvant therapy for an STS.Item Immunostaining for VEGF and Decorin Predicts Poor Survival and Recurrence in Canine Soft Tissue Sarcoma.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-03-28) Bray JP; Perrott MR; Munday JS; van der Weyden LThe aim of this study was to investigate whether using immunohistochemistry to detect the angiogenic proteins vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and decorin can help predict the risk of local recurrence of, or death from, canine soft tissue sarcoma (STS). VEGF and decorin were detected using validated immunohistochemical methods on 100 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of canine STS. The tumours had been resected previously, with clinical outcome determined by questionnaire. Each slide was assessed by light microscopy and the pattern of immunostaining with VEGF and decorin determined. Patterns of immunostaining were then analysed to detect associations with outcome measures of local recurrence and tumour-related death. High VEGF immunostaining was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with both increased local recurrence and reduced survival time. The distribution of decorin immunostaining within the tumour was significantly associated with survival time (p = 0.04) and local tumour recurrence (p = 0.02). When VEGF and decorin scores were combined, STS with both high VEGF and low decorin immunostaining were more likely to recur or cause patient death (p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that immunostaining of VEGF and decorin may help predict the risk of local recurrence of canine STS.Item A Sub-Acute Dosing Study of Saxitoxin and Tetrodotoxin Mixtures in Mice Suggests That the Current Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Regulatory Limit Is Fit for Purpose.(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-07-03) Finch SC; Webb NG; Boundy MJ; Harwood DT; Munday JS; Sprosen JM; Somchit C; Broadhurst RBParalytic shellfish poisoning is a worldwide problem induced by shellfish contaminated with paralytic shellfish toxins. To protect human health, a regulatory limit for these toxins in shellfish flesh has been adopted by many countries. In a recent study, mice were dosed with saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin mixtures daily for 28 days showing toxicity at low concentrations, which appeared to be at odds with other work. To further investigate this reported toxicity, we dosed groups of mice with saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin mixtures daily for 21 days. In contrast to the previous study, no effects on mouse bodyweight, food consumption, heart rate, blood pressure, grip strength, blood chemistry or hematology were observed. Furthermore, no histological findings were associated with dosing in this trial. The dose rates in this study were 2.6, 3.8 and 4.9 times greater, respectively, than the highest dose of the previous study. As rapid mortality in three out of five mice was observed in the previous study, the deaths are likely to be due to the methodology used rather than the shellfish toxins. To convert animal data to that used in a human risk assessment, a 100-fold safety factor is required. After applying this safety factor, the dose rates used in the current study were 3.5, 5.0 and 6.5 times greater, respectively, than the acute reference dose for each toxin type set by the European Union. Furthermore, it has previously been proposed that tetrodotoxin be included in the paralytic shellfish poisoning suite of toxins. If this were done, the highest dose rate used in this study would be 13 times the acute reference dose. This study suggests that the previous 28-day trial was flawed and that the current paralytic shellfish toxin regulatory limit is fit for purpose. An additional study, feeding mice a diet laced with the test compounds at higher concentrations than those of the current experiment, would be required to comment on whether the current paralytic shellfish toxin regulatory limit should be modified.