Feline Aids, or
FIV, is sadly a fatal,
incurable disease of cats. It
is a relatively new disease
having only been discovered in
1986 in a colony of cats in
California, and is found
worldwide. It is caused by
infection with the Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)
which is closely related to
human HIV, although it is
important to realise that FIV
cannot
be transmitted to humans. Like
HIV, FIV interferes with the
immune system of cats,
ultimately causing a failure of
the immune system which allows
other secondary infections or
diseases to infect the
cat.
What
Symptoms Does FIV
Cause?
The FIV virus lives in a cat's
blood stream and can be carried
for up to 10 years before
causing any symptoms. The
symptoms of FIV are rather
vague and certainly not
specific to FIV. Whilst there
is no one classical symptom,
cats with Feline Aids usually
have one or all of the
following symptoms :-
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Loss of Appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Weight Loss
- Gingivitis and
Stomatitis (Gum Disease and
Oral Infections)
- Swollen Lymph Nodes
- Eye Lesions
- Poor Coat
- Anaemia (low red blood
cell count)
- Chronic (or Recurrent)
Infections
- Seizures, Behavior
Changes, and other Neurological
Disorders.
- Cancer
How is
FIV Spread?
FIV is spread from cat to cat
via direct contact, most
commonly through bite wounds.
The virus is shed in high
levels in the saliva. Outdoor
cats are therefore at a greater
risk for contracting FIV since
they are more likely to
involved in cat fights etc. It
is very unlikely to pass on FIV
through casual contact such as
sharing food and water bowls.
Sexual contact is not a major
means of spreading FIV. FIV can
also be transmitted from an
infected mother cat to her
kittens, either during the
birth process or when the
newborn kittens suckle from
their mother.
Many cats that
test positive to FIV sadly also
test positive for Feline
Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) since
both diseases are spread in a
similar way.
How
Common is FIV?
Research studies have found
that between 14% and 29% of all
cats in Australia and New
Zealand are positive for FIV.
In a recent survey
Queensland was found to have an
incidence of 28%
…… that means that nearly one
in three "apparently healthy"
cats, actually already have the
virus. Given the high density
of housing in most Gold Coast
suburbs, frequently several
cat's territories overlap in a
neighborhood and it is
inevitable that virtually all
cats with outdoor access will
be involved in a fight, or
attacked by another cat, a few
times a year and are therefore
at risk of contracting FIV. We
are, however, very fortunate
that there is a safe and
effective FIV vaccine available
since vaccination is really the
only practical means of
protecting your cat, and a
blood test, prior to
vaccination, is the only way to
know if they are already
infected.
How is FIV Infection
Diagnosed ?
There
are many different tests
available for FIV but the most
common is a blood test that we
are able to run here in the
laboratory at Gold Coast Vet
Surgery and have the results
available within 10 minutes.
Should there be any problems
with the test, or further
confirmation required, then a
blood sample can be sent to a
specialist veterinary
laboratory for more advanced
tests such as PCR or virus
isolation. If a cat tests
positive for FIV then we may
recommend additional blood
tests to further check their
overall health.
Is There
Any
Treatment?
Unfortunately
no, there is no specific
treatment nor cure for FIV.
Some human retroviral drugs
such as AZT are sometimes used
with varied responses. Very
importantly, secondary
infections need to be
effectively and aggressively
treated with antibiotics.
Cats with FIV should be kept on
a premium quality diet to
maintain their immune system in
as healthy a condition as
possible.
It is also
important to keep up with your
regular preventative health
measures such as regular
worming, flea control and
yearly booster vaccinations.
Any possible infections should
be checked and treated
promptly. It is also
recommended to keep an FIV
infected cat indoors since it
reduces the likelihood of
picking up infections from
other cats, as well as reducing
the spreading of the virus to
other cats.
Are
Family Members at Risk
?
No, although HIV in people is
related to FIV there is no risk
of cross infection of FIV to
humans. People can also not
pass HIV to cats.
Are
Other Cats in the Household
Likely to be
Infected?
Unfortunately
if you have a cat with Feline
Aids then other cats in your
household may already be
infected. Generally, however,
spread between cats through
social contact is very poor so
the majority of your cats may
well be FIV negative. But if
you have a cat infected with
FIV it is strongly recommended
to get other cats in the
household tested, and if
negative, it is very wise to
have them vaccinated against
FIV. 
How Can
FIV be
Prevented?
Fortunately
there is a very safe and
effective vaccine available
against FIV. It is a simple
subcutaneous injection and
seldom has any side effects.
When starting FIV vaccination
cats need a course of three
injections two weeks apart, but
after that only a single
booster vaccination is required
each year to maintain the
protection. Before starting FIV
vaccination cats should have a
blood test to ensure that they
aren't already carrying the
disease. It is also recommended
that all vaccinated cats are
microchipped. Apart from being
a sensible thing to help find
them should they get lost,
microchipping is important
because it enables vaccinated
cat's to be identified since
once vaccinated they have a
positive reaction on FIV blood
tests and could be incorrectly
thought to be infected. A more
advanced PCR test can determine
between false positive,
vaccinated cats and truly
infected cats.
What
Else Can Reduce The Risk of
Infection?
Reduce
the risk of your cat getting
into fights by keeping them
100% indoors is the best, but
if that is not practical, at
least keep them in after dark
since most cat fights happen at
night. Desexing both males and
females is highly recommended
since it significantly reduces
the incidence of fighting.
Always be careful when
introducing a new cat to your
household, and unless it is a
young kitten under 6 months of
age, it would be sensible to
have a simple blood test to
check for FIV before
introducing it to your home.
Even if your cat is a
completely indoor cat you
should still consider FIV
vaccination. After all, if they
do accidentally get out (or
another cat gets in) it only
takes ONE bite or scratch to
transmit FIV, a disease that
cannot be cured.
Under
What Circumstances Should FIV
Testing Be
Performed?
Since a
cat can carry FIV and not be
unwell, there is no way of
knowing if a cat is infected
with FIV or not unless a blood
test is done. Early detection
will help you maintain the
health of your own cat and also
allow you to prevent spreading
infection to other cats. You
should consider having your cat
tested for FIV in the following
circumstances:-
- If your
cat has never been tested.
- If your cat is sick,
even if it tested free of
infection in the past.
- When a new cat is
adopted.
- If your cat has recently
been exposed to an infected
cat.
- If your cat goes
outdoors unsupervised,
especially if known to be a
"fighter"!
- If you're considering
vaccinating with the FIV
vaccine.
Useful
Links:
.jpg "Gold_Coast_Veterinary_Surgery_Logo")