Poles have developed a cure for cat flu

Researchers from Poland have developed a cure for cat flu, considered one of the common causes of death in shelters and catteries. The scientists reported that clinical trials conducted on sick animals showed improvement in many of them.

As Aleksandra Synowiec from the Jagiellonian University explained in an interview with TVN24, cat flu is caused by two fundamentally different viruses. One of them can hide and attack animals when their immunity is weakened. The viruses often attack animals in shelters and those living on the street.

– This is a very dangerous disease of cats – Synowiec said. – It causes inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, ulcers of the mouth and snout, and vision problems.

The researcher said that so far, research on the drug for cat flu has been successful only in laboratory conditions – clinical tests have not confirmed the action of the compounds. The team from the Jagiellonian University has developed a polymer compound that works both in the laboratory and during a clinical trial. Importantly, it can be used in the treatment of infections caused by both viruses.

Another important aspect that scientists had to consider was the form of administration of the drug. As any cat owner can attest, animals do not like taking preparations in the form of sprays or tablets.

– We thought that the best form of such a drug would be a hydrogel or ointment that could be applied to diseased areas – Synowiec explained. – We have tested almost several hundred compounds that had potential antiviral effects. (…) These are hours spent in the laboratory.

The researcher added that work is currently underway to authorize the drug for marketing. If everything goes according to plan, it could be in the hands of cat lovers in about a year.