Türkiye'de evcil kedilerde feline coronavirus enfeksiyonlarının epidemiyolojisi ve moleküler karakterizasyonu

Bu calismada, evcil kedilerin onemli hastaliklarindan birine sebep olan FIP ve bu virusun oncul formu olan FECV enfeksiyonlarinin yayginliginin arastirilmasi ve sahadaki suslarin 3'UTR gen bolgesi hedef alinarak molekuler karakterizasyonun yapilmasi amaclanmistir.Calismada 152 kedi kullanildi. Olgular yas,irk, cinsiyet, bakim ve besleme kosullari, asili olup olmama durumlari ve klinik bulgular yonunden anket sorulari esliginde degerlendirildi.Bu veriler isiginda kedilerde FCoV enfeksiyonlarinin yaygin oldugu,viruslarin yas ya da cinsiyet ayrimi gozetmedigi, evde yada sokakta bakilan kedilerin hepsinde her iki enfeksiyonun da gorulebildigi ancak birden fazla kedinin bulundugu ortamlarda FIP enfeksiyonun daha cok asemptomatik seyrettigi, FIP enfeksiyonunda diger arastirmacilarca belirtildigi uzere ascites bulgusunun siklikla gozlendigi ortaya konulmustur.ELISA sonuclari ile yas, irk, cinsiyet, bakim ve besleme kosullari arasinda bir korelasyon bulunmasa da asili hayvanlarin FCoV'a karsi olusan antikor titrelerinin daha yuksek oldugu gorulmustur.Uygulanan PCR'lar sonucunda FCoV tanisinda 3'UTR primeri ile beraber M geni primerlerinin daha net sonuc verdigi belirlenmistir. Dizin analizlerine gore Turkiye'de sirkule etmekte olan FCoV'lar dunyadaki diger FCoV'lar ile benzerlik gostermistir. Ancak saha suslarindan elde edilen bir ornegin filogenetik agacta Avian Coronavirus suslarina yakin yer bulmasi evrimsel temelde degerlendirilmistir.Abstract In this study, enlucidating not only the prevalance of FIP, a devastating disease of cats, and its precursor form FECV but also molecular characterization of the viruses with 3? UTR based RT-PCR and sequencing were aimed.During this study 152 cats were sampled. Cats were grouped according to the information collected from the questionnaires filled by the owners on age, breed, gender, housing, environment and vaccination status.These questionnaires revealed that FCoV infection was seen widespread in cat populations, diseases could be caused by both of the viruses regardless of age, gender and housing (indoor /outdoor). Likewise other researhes ascites is the common clinical symptom of FIP. On the contrary cats living in multicat households were usually asymptomaticELISA results and age, breed, gender housing and environment was not correlated with one another, but on the other hand higher antibody titres against FCoV were shown in vaccinated animals.The PCR results indicated that not only the 3? UTR primers but also the M gene primers should be used in order to determine the FCoV. The sequence analysis pointed out the FCoV?s in Turkey, were genetically related to the other FCoV?s worldwide. On the other hand, in the phylogenetic tree, a sample were positioned closer than avian coronaviruses instead of feline, supposing the evolutionary aspects of the viruses.