Low prevalence and frequent co-infection of feline astrovirus with feline enteric coronavirus and feline bocaparvovirus in asymptomatic cats in Japan

Although feline astrovirus (FeAstV) is recognized as a cause of feline gastroenteritis, the prevalence of asymptomatic infections in Japan remains to be elucidated. We examined fecal samples from 124 domestic and 195 stray cats for FeAstV and other enteric viruses. FeAstV was detected only in stray cats (3.08%), and 83.3% of positive samples showed viral co-infection. Phylogenetic analysis of complete and partial ORF2 sequences demonstrated that Japanese FeAstV strains clustered together and were genetically distinct from previously reported strains. These findings indicate low-level FeAstV circulation with frequent co-infection in asymptomatic cats in Japan.