LIJ@NIHCU (08/15/89)
A veterinarian colleague asked me to post this to the board: Re: feline AIDS, I want to try to clarify the different feline viral diseases which have been mentioned. Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) is a Retrovirus which was discovered in the late 1960's. Common disease sequelae to FeLV infection include lymphosarcoma and severe non-regenerative anemia. Diagnosis is made via antigen tests (ELISA; IFA) and or antibody tests. A vaccine against FeLv has been available since 1985. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is also called Feline T- lymphotrophic Virus (FTLV) and is also called Feline AIDS (FAIDS). It is also a Retrovirus and was discovered in 1987. Diagnosis is made via an antigen based (ELISA) test. There is as yet no vaccine against FIV. FeLV and FIV *are* different viruses. Their morphology is different, their effects on T-cells differ, and they don't cross react antigenically (antibodies to FeLV don't react to FIV particles and vice versa). A cat may be infected with either disease, or both. The FIV positive but FeLV negative cats I've seen have had non- neoplastic but non-responsive conditions such as liver failure and severe stomatitis/gingivitis. Some FeLV and/or FIV cats will go into "remission", so depending on the severity of the cat's illness and the owner's wishes, it is often worth treating the early stages of the illness. Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a Corona virus which causes granulomas in target organs such as intestines, lung, kidney and brain. Many cats have antibodies to this virus but are clinically normal. There is no vaccine against FIP, and cats that are ill with this disease respond poorly to treatment. As FUCHS@VCUVAX wrote last week, *please* ask your veterinarian if you want more information on any of these diseases.