Prevalence and implications of feline coronavirus infections of captive and free-ranging cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)

This study investigated feline coronavirus infection in cheetahs after a devastating outbreak of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) struck a captive cheetah facility with unusually high mortality. By surveying coronavirus exposure in both captive and free-ranging cheetahs, the authors linked the catastrophic outbreak to the species’ limited genetic diversity, hypothesizing that immunogenetic uniformity allowed the normally mild coronavirus to cause severe, widespread FIP. The contrast with domestic cats, where FIP affects only a minority of infected individuals, underscored how genetic monomorphism can amplify disease impact. The paper is a classic example connecting conservation genetics to infectious disease epidemiology and a cautionary tale for managing captive felid populations, where crowding and shared genetics can turn a common virus into a population-level threat.