A cat coming in contact with these objects becomes infected indirectly rather than directly from the cat that put it there. People can also spread this virus from cat to cat on their hands and clothing. Indirect contact can be a source of infection in shelters, catteries or even veterinary clinics. The FVR virus itself does not live longer than 48 hours once it is outside the cat's body, but that is usually long enough to cause infection under some conditions. It is possible, of course, for a cat to get infected both directly and indirectly at the same time.
Infected kittens become sicker and shed more virus than adult cats.
Accordingly, sick kittens are the worst source of infection to other kittens, who in turn will get even sicker and shed more virus than the ones who gave it to them. Most veterinarians will diagnose FVR based on the clinical symptoms they see. If there is a need, however, a swab can be taken from the back of the throat and sent to a specialty laboratory to positively identify the Herpes Virus 1 that causes Rhinotracheitis. Veterinarians will often prescribe antibiotics as well, because they wish to avoid the resulting bacterial infections that happen in conjunction with the damage from the virus infection. Supportive care is dependent upon the symptoms.