[Feline panleukopenia - the important role of antibodies]

Feline panleukopenia is an important infectious disease. Despite vaccination, panleukopenia remains common, particularly in young kittens. Development of active immunity after primary vaccination is essential for protection. Therefore, vaccination against panleukopenia is a core vaccine. Efficacy of primary vaccination can be reduced by maternally derived antibodies that can persist up to 20 weeks and interfere with the vaccination. In adult cats, antibody development after vaccination can be reduced during chronic disease or immunosuppression. Approximately 30% of adult cats lack antibodies. Evaluation of antibody titres in kittens enables calculation of the ideal time point to initiate primary vaccinations with the goal to establish effective immunity. In adult cats, evaluation of antibody titres is a useful alternative to avoid unnecessary vaccinations and to create an individual vaccination schedule. Only cats lacking antibodies should be vaccinated. Evaluation of antibodies in private practice can be performed using a rapid in-house test.