FELINE HERPESVIRUS INFECTION IN FOUR CAPTIVE CHEETAHS (ACINONYX JUBATUS) POSTVACCINATION

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are particularly susceptible to feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1). Recommendations for preventive health care in cheetahs include vaccination against FHV-1 using killed and modified live virus (MLV) vaccines. Although MLV vaccines tend to induce a more robust immune response than killed vaccines, they can induce disease. This case series details an FHV-1 outbreak in four adult cheetahs following the use of MLV vaccine in one of them. All four cheetahs developed severe FHV-1 clinical signs and were euthanized. Clinical signs included depression, anorexia, nasal discharge, ocular discharge, sneezing, and ulcerative dermatitis. Herpesvirus infection was diagnosed using history, clinical signs, polymerase chain reaction, and histologic evaluation. The timeline of events suggests the MLV vaccine was the inciting cause, although this was not conclusively proven. Outcome of this case suggests that when considering MLV vaccines for cheetahs, careful risk and benefit discussions are merited.