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Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. Cause. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is caused by a retrovirus belonging to the lentivirus family. History of FIV. FIV was first discovered1986 in a California cattery where some cats appeared to have an illness similar to AIDS in people. Singnalment.

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Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

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  1. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

  2. Cause • Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is caused by a retrovirus belonging to the lentivirus family.

  3. History of FIV • FIV was first discovered1986 in a California cattery where some cats appeared to have an illness similar to AIDS in people.

  4. Singnalment • Male cats are twice as likely as female cats to contact FIV. • The average age of infected cats is 3-5 years old. • In the United States, 1.5-3% of the cat population is infected with FIV.

  5. Transmission • Transmission usually occurs by fighting and bite wounds. • Neonatal kittens may become infected by contact with infected queens. • Unlike is humans, sexual contact is not a major means of transmission among cats.

  6. Pathogenesis • Following initial infection, FIV is carried to regional lymph nodes. • The virus infects T lymphocytes, then is carried to the other lymph nodes in the body. • Once the virus spreads to other lymph nodes it begins to target the macrophages.

  7. Clinical Signs • Enlarged lymph nodes • Fever • Anemia • Weight loss • Poor Appetite • Diarrhea • Wounds that don't heal.

  8. Clinical Signs (cont) • Unresponsive infections (gingivitis, stomatitis, skin, ear, and/or respiratory tract infections). • Chronic fever and cachexia are also common findings.

  9. Diagnostic Tests • Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) blood test is the most common. • ELISA detects antibodies to HIV in the blood. • If antibodies are detected, more laboratory tests, such as IFA assays and Western blot tests are done to confirm the positive findings.

  10. Treatment • There is no known cure. • Drug therapy may alleviate secondary symptoms.

  11. Prognosis • Not an automatic death sentence. • Cats infected with FIV can live many months or even years with the proper secondary treatments. • Death is usually caused by the secondary infections that come from the immune system being compromised by FIV.

  12. Prevention • There is no vaccine for FIV. • Indoor cats have less chance of contacting FIV. • Cats that are aggressive to other cats should be isolated from other cats.

  13. Client Education • Make sure the client knows there is no sure vaccine for FIV. • Early detection gives the cat the highest survival rates. • Early detection will help prevent the cat from spreading FIV to other cats.

  14. References • http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/fiv.html • http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/pages/FIV_web.pdf • http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/fiv_in_cats.htm • http://www.cat-world.com.au/feline-immunodeficiency-virus • http://www.cat-world.com.au/feline-immunodeficiency-virus

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