Chronic Infection of Domestic Cats with Feline Morbillivirus, United States

To the Editor: Feline morbillivirus (FeMV) was first reported in Hong Kong and mainland China in 2012 (1) and has been associated with tubulointerstitial nephritis, the histopathologic correlate of idiopathic chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, this association has not been proven by studies in FeMV-naive animals. In 2013, phylogenetically related strains were found in Japan, indicating broader geographic distribution in Asia (2). The lack of complete genome sequences for strains from other regions prevents assessment of the clinical relevance and genetic diversity of FeMV. Classical morbilliviruses, such as measles and canine distemper viruses, have a global distribution, suggesting that FeMV might be present elsewhere in the world (3). To confirm the presence of FeMV and assess its genetic diversity and infection patterns in the United States, we collected and analyzed urine samples from domestic cats.