Developing Diagnostic Tests for a Newly Discovered Virus

A previously unknown viral infection of cats, called domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH), is suspected to cause serious feline liver diseases, including liver cancer and chronic hepatitis. DCH-infected cats have been detected in the United States, Europe and Australasia, and the virus is likely to infect cats worldwide. Researchers, who first identified DCH in a previous Foundation-funded study, will develop novel blood tests to detect different stages of infection, paving the way for investigations into the impact of DCH infection on feline health globally. If the virus is confirmed to cause disease, these blood tests will be made commercially available to help gauge DCH’s impact on global cat health and its association to feline liver diseases.