Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline leukemia and immunodeficiency virus in cats in New Zealand
By Luckman, Claire & Gates, M Carolyn·Published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Open Reports·2017·Veterinary Centre, Waimate, New Zealand·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Epidemiology and clinical outcomes of feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukaemia virus in client-owned cats in New Zealand
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study of 572 cats in New Zealand found that 2.6% tested positive for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and 18.5% for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Most cats were not vaccinated for FeLV, as veterinarians believed the virus was not common. Male cats and those showing signs of a weakened immune system were more likely to test positive for both viruses. Cats with FeLV had a median survival time of just 10 days, while those with FIV lived a median of 650 days. This highlights the importance of testing and monitoring for these viruses in cats, especially in areas where vaccination is low.
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Abstract
Objectives The objectives were to collect baseline data on the occurrence, testing and vaccination practices, and clinical outcomes of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in New Zealand Methods A cross-sectional survey of 423 veterinary practices in New Zealand was performed to collect data on FeLV and FIV testing and vaccination during the 2015 calendar year. Clinical records from 572 cats tested using a point-of-care ELISA at a first-opinion veterinary practice between 7 April 2010 and 23 June 2016 were also obtained and multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to identify risk factors for test positivity. Survival times were estimated using Kaplan–Meier methods. Results The survey was completed by 112 clinics (26.4%) of which 72 performed in-house testing. Of the 2125 tests performed, 56 (2.6%) were positive for FeLV and 393 (18.5%) were positive for FIV. Fewer than 1% of cats were vaccinated for FeLV, with veterinarians citing low perceived prevalence as the primary reason for not vaccinating. Being male compared with being female and having clinical evidence of immunosuppression were significant risk factors for both FeLV and FIV test positivity. The median survival times of FeLV and FIV test-positive cats were 10 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 0–16) and 650 days (95% CI 431–993), respectively. Conclusions and relevance Testing and vaccination for FeLV and FIV in New Zealand appears targeted towards high-risk animals, which may bias prevalence estimates. Baseline data should be monitored for changes in FeLV epidemiology now commercial vaccines are no longer available.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1177/2055116917729311