Changes

==Transmission and Epidemiology==

==Transmission and Epidemiology==

The major route of transmission is via saliva, especially through bting, and those cats exhibiting territorial aggression are most at risk of infection. Vertical transmission can also occur byt 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 househilds only a single cat in a group may be FIV positive, wherease in others nearly every cat may be infected. However, 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.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is commonly abbreviated to FIV.

 

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.

==Pathogenesis==

==Pathogenesis==