Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diseases associated with feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus infection: A retrospective study of 1470 necropsied cats (2010-2020).
- Journal:
- Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- de Mello, Lauren Santos et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Pathology · Brazil
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the health issues related to feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in 1,470 cats that had died and been examined. Out of these, about 27% had FeLV, 14% had FIV, and 9% had both viruses. Cats with FeLV were more likely to develop cancers like lymphoma and leukemia, while those with both FeLV and FIV had a higher chance of getting bacterial infections. Interestingly, cats with FIV alone did not show significant differences in health problems compared to cats without either virus. Overall, the study found that FeLV infections were quite common in southern Brazil, and cats with these infections tended to be younger and often died from cancer or infections.
Abstract
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are retroviruses affecting cats worldwide, and the prevalence of infection varies considerably according to the geographic area. We retrospectively described FIV- and FeLV-associated diseases in a population of 1470 necropsied cats, of which 396 (26.9%) were infected with FeLV, 199 (13.5%) with FIV, and 134 (9.1%) with FeLV and FIV concomitantly. Cats infected with FeLV (OR 3.4) and co-infected with FeLV and FIV (OR 1.9) were more likely to have neoplasms. The diagnosis of lymphoma and leukemia was higher in cats infected with FeLV (OR 3.9 and 19.4, respectively) and coinfected with FeLV and FIV (OR 1.9 and 19.3, respectively). The odds of diagnosing bacterial diseases were higher in cats coinfected with FeLV and FIV (OR: 2.8), whereas the odds of viral diseases were higher in those infected with FeLV (OR: 2.8), with 2.2 times more diagnoses of feline infectious peritonitis. Neoplastic and infectious diseases in FIV-infected cats did not differ significantly from those in uninfected cats. According to our results, a high prevalence of retroviral infections was observed in southern Brazil, mainly in relation to FeLV. Infected cats were significantly younger than uninfected cats. The main causes of death associated with FeLV infection and FeLV and FIV coinfection were neoplastic and infectious diseases. In contrast, FIV infection was not associated with any specific condition.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36858000/