Key Facts
• September 3, 2025: Miyazaki University and Miyazaki City announced a new testing method.
• Researchers used commercial oil blotting film to detect cat infection viruses.
• Viruses detected include Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) and feline AIDS.
• Testing reduces the need for blood samples, lowering stress on cats and infection risks for humans.
• RNA detection from cat ear sebum showed results comparable to blood serum tests.
• Inspired by Kao Corporation’s research on RNA detection from human sebum.
• SFTS is a tick-borne zoonotic disease that can spread from cats to humans.
• Miyazaki Prefecture reported 120 human SFTS cases since March 2013.
• Findings were presented at the Japanese Society of Veterinary Science meeting on September 3, 2025.
• Further validation with more samples is planned to confirm effectiveness.
Summary
Researchers from Miyazaki University and Miyazaki City have developed a novel method to detect cat infection viruses using commercial oil blotting film. This approach identifies viruses such as Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) and feline AIDS by collecting sebum from cats’ ears. The method reduces the need for invasive blood tests, minimizing stress on cats and lowering infection risks for humans. Inspired by Kao Corporation’s human sebum RNA detection research, the team confirmed that results from sebum samples align closely with traditional blood serum tests. SFTS, a tick-borne zoonotic disease, poses risks to both cats and humans, with 120 human cases reported in Miyazaki Prefecture since 2013. The findings, presented at a veterinary science conference, highlight the potential for simpler, safer testing in facilities with large cat populations. Further research will expand sample sizes to validate the method’s effectiveness.
