A Scoping Review of the Evidence on Prevalence of Feline Upper Respiratory Tract Infections and Associated Risk Factors.

Simple Summary: Feline upper respiratory infections (URI) are often endemic in animal shelters. Infections lead to increased morbidity, longer duration of stay at the shelter and, subsequently, reduced welfare and quality of life of affected cats. They impede the shelter's ability to use already stretched resources and space optimally and can also result in increased rates of euthanasia of seriously affected cats. Despite the clear association of infection rates and shelter animal welfare, data on the prevalence of disease and the relative contribution of potential risk factors remain unclear, and no systematically synthesised research exists. In this scoping review, we provide a comprehensive description of the literature on feline URI in multiple contexts and explore whether the literature lends itself to be systematically synthesised. We describe patterns in spatial locations of studies, the range of pathogens and diagnostic tests, cohort characteristics and the findings of risk factor analyses. Assessing the impact of risk factors has the potential to alleviate the severity of disease, especially in shelters; however, the results were not easily pooled as the studies used inconsistent approaches. We present recommendations for ongoing epidemiological research on feline URI to provide a more structured framework and define research questions for future systematic reviews. Feline upper respiratory tract infections (URI) are of concern, especially in animal shelters. This scoping review identifies epidemiological literature on URI as caused by feline herpesvirus (FHV), feline calicivirus (FCV), Chlamydia felis, Mycoplasma felis and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Four databases were searched, studies were screened, and data were extracted on a standardised template. We described patterns in spatial locations of the studies, the range of pathogens and diagnostic tests, cohort characteristics and the findings of risk factor analyses. A total of 90 articles were selected for final data extraction. There was diversity in sampling methods, precluding quantitative meta-analysis of prevalence reports. FHV was most frequently studied (n = 57/90). The most popular sampling site was conjunctival swabbing (n = 43). Most studies (n = 57) used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to confirm diagnosis. Approximately one-third (n = 32/90) of the studies included sheltered felines. This review explores the current state of knowledge on the epidemiology and risk factors of feline URI. Assessing the impact of risk factors has the potential to alleviate the severity of disease, especially in shelters; however, the results were not easily pooled as the studies used inconsistent approaches. We present recommendations for ongoing epidemiological research on feline URI to provide a more structured framework and define research questions for future systematic reviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]