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Deadly Cat Coronavirus Offers Clues for Long COVID and Other Illnesses
UC Davis researchers trace feline virus in a way that could guide research into lasting effects of viral infections in humans.
Published on Feb. 24, 2026
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Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that a deadly cat coronavirus, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), spreads through a much broader range of immune cells than previously thought, including B and T lymphocytes that are critical for fighting infection. This suggests the virus can infiltrate the very cells that coordinate the immune response, potentially disrupting immune function and leading to lingering symptoms. The findings offer a model for studying persistent effects of viral infections in humans, including long COVID.
Why it matters
The study provides a rare opportunity to directly observe how a naturally occurring coronavirus disease affects immune tissues, something that is very difficult to do in human patients. The insights from the cat disease could help guide research into long-lasting effects of viral infections in people, including the mechanisms behind conditions like long COVID.
The details
The UC Davis team examined lymph nodes from cats with naturally occurring FIP, which is almost always fatal if left untreated. They found that the virus infects a much broader range of immune cells, including B lymphocytes that make antibodies and T lymphocytes that help the immune system recognize and destroy infected cells. This suggests the virus is gaining access to the very 'rooms' where the immune system organizes its response, potentially causing the system to misfire, overreact, or fail to clear the threat. The researchers also found evidence of active viral replication inside these immune cells, even after antiviral therapy, indicating the virus or its genetic material can persist in long-lived immune cells.
- The UC Davis team conducted their study in 2026.
The players
Amir Kol
An associate professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the lead author of the study.
University of California, Davis
The research institution where the study was conducted.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)
A deadly cat coronavirus that the researchers studied.
What they’re saying
“What we found is that it actually infects a much broader range of immune cells, including those that are critical for fighting infection.”
— Amir Kol, Associate professor, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (Veterinary Microbiology)
What’s next
The researchers plan to continue studying the mechanisms by which the FIP virus persists in immune cells and how this could inform research into long-lasting effects of viral infections in humans, including long COVID.
The takeaway
The findings from the cat coronavirus study offer a valuable model for understanding how viral infections can disrupt the immune system and lead to lingering symptoms, which could help guide research into long-lasting effects of COVID-19 and other viral illnesses in humans.
