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Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (view source)
Revision as of 14:29, 27 August 2010
, 14:29, 27 August 2010→Control
==Control==
==Control==
Single cat households
Given that the predominant mode of transmission is via
biting, the FIV-positive cat should be neutered, where
appropriate, and prevented from fighting. In some cases,
this may require confinement indoors, which may also
be of benefit in protecting the cat from contact with
other infectious agents. It is generally recommended that
FIV-positive cats are kept in at night at least, since this is
when most cat fights occur.
Multicat households
The above recommendations apply equally to the
multicat household, but there are also additional
concerns with respect to the other cats in the household.
These cats should be FIV antibody tested, with one
option being to segregate or rehome any positive cats to
eliminate the risk of transmission of infection. However,
since the risk of transmission by social contact is low,
many owners elect to keep the household as it is. It may
be of benefit to feed cats using separate food bowls since
large amounts of virus are present in saliva. The virus
is readily killed by disinfectants and dies within a few
hours outside the cat, so the risk of transmission of infection
via fomites is generally low. Litter trays and food
bowls should be disinfected to inactivate the virus.
FIV-positive queens should not be bred from. Any
kittens that are born should ideally be hand-reared to
reduce the risk of infection via the milk. The kittens
should be FIV antibody tested when six months old.
At present, there are no vaccines available for the
prevention of FIV infection and it is unlikely that any
will appear on the market for several years.
==Prognosis==
==Prognosis==