Clinical, virological, and immunological parameters associated with superinfection of latently with FeHV-1 infected cats.

Infections with feline herpesvirus type 1 (FeHV-1) are frequently associated with recurrent ocular disease, which may occur even in vaccinated cats. The underlying pathogenesis is poorly understood. Specifically, the role of circulating, superinfecting virus strains is unknown. To begin addressing this complex question, we reconstituted a marker-tagged mutant FeHV-1 from a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) harboring the FeHV-1 genome. This mutant was deleted for the glycoprotein G gene (ΔgG) but carried instead a gene encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Nine latently with wild-type (wt) FeHV-1-infected cats were superinfected with this mutant and monitored for clinical, virological, and immunological parameters.