6,502
edits
Changes
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (view source)
Revision as of 12:45, 27 August 2010
, 12:45, 27 August 2010→Transmission and Epidemiology
It is clearly possible that horizontal transmission can occur within multi-cat households, but 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.
It is clearly possible that horizontal transmission can occur within multi-cat households, but 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.
Since FIV was first isolated in 1986 [Pedersen 1987], serological studies have
demonstrated that FIV is endemic in domestic cat populations worldwide; the
seroprevalence of FIV is highly variable between regions, with estimates of 1 to 14% in
cats with no clinical signs and up to 44% in sick cats [Hartmann 1998].
Sick adult cats, male cats and entire cats are most likely to be infected [Hosie et al.
1989]. The major route of natural transmission is believed to be via the inoculation of
saliva during fighting [Yamamoto et al. 1989]. Vertical transmission and transmission
between cats in stable households is relatively uncommon.
The majority of natural FIV infections are acquired by biting, presumably through the
inoculation of virus, or virus-infected cells, from the saliva of persistently infected cats.
Transmission from mother to kittens may occur but only a proportion of the offspring
become persistently infected. The proportion of kittens infected depends on the viral load
of the queen during pregnancy and birth. E.g. if the queen is acutely infected up to 70%
of the kittens may be infected, but if the queen is clinically normal but chronically
infected hardly any kittens will be infected [O’Neil et al. 1995a, 1995b, 1996].
Although neither oronasal nor venereal spread has been documented in nature, cats can
be infected by experimental inoculation of virus into the nose, mouth, vagina and rectum
[Moench et al. 1993] and virus can be recovered from semen following natural or
ABCD Guidelines on Feline Immunodeficiency Virus 5/21
experimental infection [Jordan et al. 1998]. Queens however may still be infected at
mating if bitten by an infected tomcat.
==Pathogenesis==
==Pathogenesis==