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March 7, 2014 – It isn’t every day that you get to discover one new virus, let alone three.

However, that is exactly what researchers at Colorado State University have done. 

They were able to isolate three new feline viruses from wild and domestic cats.  What is especially interesting to these researchers is that the newly discovered viruses are similar to those already known to cause cancer in people. Now that the viruses have been identified, the researchers hope to look further at whether they also cause disease in wild and domestic cats. 

“We think there’s a chance these viruses could be doing something similar in cats,” says Dr. Ryan Troyer, a researcher and Morris Animal Foundation grant recipient. “Discovery of viruses and virus transmission is important because it can help us understand common and emerging diseases in animal and people. That’s the first step to stopping infectious disease.” 

This is Dr. Troyer’s first grant from the Foundation, and it exemplifies our commitment to developing the talents of promising young scientists. Good job, Ryan!

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