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Model system identifies new FHV-1 drug
Black cat eye
The team identified the drug while developing a model to test drugs that treat feline eye infections.

Raltegravir requires only once-a-day dosing

A model system developed to test medication for feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) has identified a new drug that only needs to be applied once-a-day.

Identified by scientists at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, raltegravir is used in humans to treat HIV infections, but it had never been used to treat FHV-1 in cats.

“We found that it is very effective against FHV-1. It even worked when we applied the drug only once every 24 hours,” says study leader Dr Gerlinde Van de Walle.

The team identified the drug while developing a model to test drugs that treat feline eye infections.

Described in the Journal of General Virology, the new model used corneas donated from cats that died of causes other than eye disease. Researchers say this method offers a better reflection of what happens in the eyes of a cat, than models consisting of cells in a petri dish.

In the study, the team applied the FHV-1 virus to some of the corneas and tested the effectiveness of two commonly prescribed drugs: cidofovir and acyclovir.

Both drugs cleared the infection when applied every 12 hours, but cidofovir was more effective.

The team then used the model system to test raltegravir. They found that it was just as effective as other drugs for treating FHV-1 infections and only needed to be administered once a day.

Dr Walle says that she eventually hopes to see the drug tested in a well-controlled clinical trial.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise 100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.