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Only few studies have investigated the prevalence of feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection in domestic cats in Fujian, China. This is the first study to report the prevalence rate of FCoV infection in domestic cats in Fujian, China, and to analyse the epidemiological characteristics of FCoV infection in the region. A total of 112 cat faecal samples were collected from animal hospitals and catteries in the Fujian Province. RNA was extracted from faecal material for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The prevalence rate of FCoV infection was determined, and its epidemiological risk factors were analysed. The overall prevalence of FCoV infection in the cats, was 67.9%. We did not observe a significant association between the age, sex, or breed of the cats included in the study and the prevalence rate of the viral infection. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the four strains from Fujian were all type I FCoV. This is the first study to analyse the prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of FCoV infection in domestic cats in Fujian, China, using faecal samples. The results of this study provide preliminary data regarding the prevalence of FCoV infection in the Fujian Province for epidemiological studies on FCoV in China and worldwide. Future studies should perform systematic and comprehensive epidemiological investigations to determine the prevalence of FCoV infection in the region., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) is a pathogenic virus commonly found in cats that causes a benign enteric illness and fatal systemic disease, feline infectious peritonitis. The development of serological diagnostic tools for FCoV is helpful for clinical diagnosis and epidemiological investigation. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) to detect antibodies against FCoV using histidine-tagged recombinant spike protein. FCoV S protein (1127–1400 aa) was expressed and used as an antigen to establish an ELISA. Mice and rabbits immunized with the protein produced antibodies that were recognized and bound to the protein. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) was 1.15–5.04% and the inter-assay CV was 4.28–15.13%, suggesting an acceptable repeatability. iELISA did not cross-react with antisera against other feline viruses. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an 86.7% sensitivity and 93.3% specificity for iELISA. Serum samples (n = 107) were tested for anti-FCoV antibodies, and 70.09% of samples were positive for antibodies against FCoV. The iELISA developed in our study can be used to measure serum FCoV antibodies due to its acceptable repeatability, sensitivity, and specificity. Additionally, field sample analysis data demonstrated that FCoV is highly prevalent in cat populations in Fujian province, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]