Genetics and FHV succeptibility

Is there a relation between genetics and the likelihood of contracting Feline Herpes? My two cats from this locality have it, but the three I brought in from the Dallas area don't have it.

I am very interested in feline genetics and how they make each cat unique.

Thank you for taking time to educate all of us.

Howdy ho Cat Lovers,

The genetics of disease resistance and susceptibility is tricky and we do not know mush about it just yet.  Obviously some cats can deal with herpes (feline herpes virus) better than others - so - some genetics must come into play.  Same reason why all of us do not get a cold or the flu or even our own herpes (cold sores).  The FHV vaccine certainly helps their resistance and it depends a lot on exposure and stress.  Even after being vaccinated, some cats will have a chronic weepy eye - which is likely herpes.  People do not get cat herpes by the way - we have our own - and we can't give it to cats either!  But these viruses work the same way, they live dormant in the nerve cells and sometimes come out to play (giving us cold scores) when we get stressed.  Same things happen to cats - they get weepy eye(s) that can sometimes become worse and be an upper respiratory infection.

Collecting background genetic data on cats via the 99 Lives project will help us answer these problems in the future!