Molecular epidemiology and risk analysis for asymptomatic infection with feline enteric coronavirus in domestic and stray cats in Japan

Feline enteric coronavirus (FECoV) causes subclinical infection; therefore, asymptomatic cats can act as transmitters of FECoV. However, there have been few studies on the prevalence of FECoV in asymptomatic cats in Japan. In this study, we used a nested RT-PCR assay targeting the S gene of FECoV to test 319 normal fecal samples from stray cats and domestic cats in Japan between 2019 and 2020. Seventy-five samples tested positive, and the presence of FECoV in domestic cats was significantly associated with age (p < 0.01), but not with gender, breed, or living in a multi-cat household. The results provide insights into the current prevalence of FECoV in asymptomatic cats in Japan.