Abstract
In kittens having received intravenous transfer of high titered antibody and then oral inoculation with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus, was developed precocious enteritis as well as visceral lesions that were not seen without antibody transfer. Neutrophil infiltration carrying virus antigen appeared on day 1 postinoculation (p.i.) in the small intestinal lamina propria. On day 3 p.i., virus antigen was detected within enterocytes as well as neutrophils and macrophages, and desquamation of enterocytes was seen with moderate or marked infiltration of neutrophils, macrophages and sometimes also lymphocytes or plasma cells in the lamina propria and submucosa. The results suggested that neutrophils might be responsible for producing early intestinal lesions.
