Effect of diethylcarbamazine on serum antibodies to feline infectious peritonitis in cats.

In preceding studies by the author, use of the immunomodulator drug diethylcarbamazine resulted in the detection of antibodies to feline oncornavirus-associated cell membrane antigen in nine feline leukaemia virus infected cats that had previously given negative results to this antibody. In the present report, seven diethylcarbamazine-treated cats developed higher serum antibody titres to feline infectious peritonitis more frequently than did seven untreated controls. Since feline infectious peritonitis is caused by a coronavirus, these results suggest that diethylcarbamazine treatment could be exploited for vaccination and treatment strategies for non-retroviral in addition to retroviral infections.