Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
FIV virus in domestic cats from southern Brazil - risks and signs
By de Mello, Lauren Santos et al.·Published in Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases·2025·Simbios Biotecnologia, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV): Prevalence, risk factors, and clinical findings in domestic cats (Felis catus) from southern Brazil.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of domestic cats in southern Brazil was tested for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which can weaken their immune systems. Out of 366 cats, about 7% were found to be infected, with most of the affected cats being older and having access to the outdoors. Cats with FIV were also more likely to have other health issues, such as feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and chronic diseases, which increased their risk of developing serious conditions like lymphoma and anemia. Understanding these risks can help cat owners take better care of their pets and manage their health.
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Abstract
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a retrovirus affecting domestic cats worldwide and causing immunosuppression and reduced quality of life. The prevalence of FIV infection varies according to geographic regions / countries and it is associated with domestic cat health managements (vaccination, neutering, basic health care, etc.). This study aimed to evaluate prevalence, risk factors and some clinical information of FIV infection in a domestic cat population in southern Brazil. A total of 366 cats from ten different veterinary facilities and 43 neighborhoods located in the city of Caxias do Sul were sampled for this study. Each animal was examined by a clinical veterinarian and blood was collected for laboratory analysis. Blood samples were tested with a point-of-care (POC) assay to detect FIV antibodies and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect and quantify FIV proviral DNA. The results demonstrated an overall prevalence of 7.1 % (n = 26; 95 % CI = 4.9 % - 10.2 %) of FIV infection. FIV-positive cats demonstrated undetectable (n = 6; 23.1 %) and detectable (n = 20; 76.9 %) proviral DNA, with loads varying from less than 10 (10) to 4460,000 (10) with a mean of 480,000 (10) copies/mL. FIV-positive cats were significantly older (median age of 7 years), also presenting outdoor access (OR: 5.0, p = 0.046), feline leukemia virus (FeLV) coinfection (OR: 7.1, p < 0.001) and other chronic diseases (OR: 4.1, p = 0.34) as main risk factors. FIV-positive animals presented a 9.9- and 7.6-times higher risk for developing lymphoma and anemia in the multivariate analysis. This study contributes to assess some important epidemiological aspects of FIV infection in cats in southern Brazil, highlighting the strong association of FIV and FeLV coinfection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39647437/