Gut Microbiome Disruption in Shelter Cats with Feline Panleukopenia: Virome Co-Detection and Enteric Dysbiosis

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Abstract
Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) causes severe enteric and systemic disease in cats, with particular importance in shelter environments where susceptible kittens, high population turnover, environmental contamination, and variable vaccination histories increase infection pressure. Recent virome and microbiome studies suggest that FPV-associated enteritis may occur within a broader context of viral co-detection and intestinal microbial disturbance, but direct FPV-specific bacteriome evidence remains limited. This review aims to synthesize current evidence on FPV-associated enteritis in shelter cats by integrating viral pathogenesis, diagnostic interpretation, enteric virome co-detection, gut dysbiosis, recovery dynamics, and intervention-related ecological effects. The literature was organized using an evidence-tier framework that distinguishes direct FPV/feline panleukopenia evidence from feline enteric microbiome proxy evidence and broader comparative or mechanistic microbiome studies. This approach was used to define the limits of inference and to separate evidence-supported conclusions from hypothesis-generating ecological models. Feline panleukopenia in shelter cats should be interpreted not only as an individual viral infection, but also as an ecological process shaped by host susceptibility, shelter exposure, diagnostic complexity, viral co-detection, and microbial community disturbance. Current evidence supports a cautious framework in which virome co-detection and dysbiosis-associated patterns are not treated as direct proof of causation. Future longitudinal, context-controlled, and multi-layer studies integrating validated FPV diagnostics, virome and bacteriome profiling, clinical metadata, treatment records, and functional endpoints are needed to clarify the biological and clinical significance of gut ecosystem disruption in feline panleukopenia.

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