6,502
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (view source)
Revision as of 12:36, 27 August 2010
, 12:36, 27 August 2010→Transmission and Epidemiology
The major route of transmission is via saliva, especially through biting, and those cats exhibiting territorial aggression are most at risk of infection. Vertical transmission can also occur but the importance of this is not known. Venereal transmission has not been reported. Within households horizontal transmission can occur but the level of infection can be very variable. In some households only a single cat in a group may be FIV positive, whereas in others nearly every cat may be infected. Overall it appears that if fighting among cats housed together is rare, the prevalence of FIV is likely to be low.
The major route of transmission is via saliva, especially through biting, and those cats exhibiting territorial aggression are most at risk of infection. Vertical transmission can also occur but the importance of this is not known. Venereal transmission has not been reported. Within households horizontal transmission can occur but the level of infection can be very variable. In some households only a single cat in a group may be FIV positive, whereas in others nearly every cat may be infected. Overall it appears that if fighting among cats housed together is rare, the prevalence of FIV is likely to be low.
Effective virus transmission requires an infectious inoculum, a portal of entry, and a susceptible host. Saliva from infected cats harbors FIV . virus burden in saliva parallels that of peripheral blood. acutely infected cats or terminal disease may be the greatest reservoirs of transmissible virus. acute stage of infection, virus can be detected in saliva prior to viremia On the opposite end of the clinical extreme, cats with AIDS are more likely to shed virus in the saliva and transmit the virus through bite wounds than cats in the asymptomatic stage of infection [61].
Cats with oral inflammation are probably more likely to shed virus in saliva than asymptomatic cats [56]. Gingivitis, stomatitis, periodontitis, and odontoclasia are among the most prevalent clinical signs of FIV infection [26,54]. concurrent herpesvirus infection [22] although a specific etiologic agent is not usually identified.
Seroepidemiological surverys of the prevalence of FIV in the UK have shown that 13-19% of sick cats may be infected with FIV compared to 2-3% of healthy cats.
Seroepidemiological surverys of the prevalence of FIV in the UK have shown that 13-19% of sick cats may be infected with FIV compared to 2-3% of healthy cats.