Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

By Stephan Grobler | Cats, Health and Vaccinations, PetInfo | Comments are Closed | 14 July, 2015 | 0

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is closely related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). There is currently no cure for FIV in cats, but many cats live for many years while harboring the virus. The average life expectancy from the time of diagnosis for FIV is about 5 years, but many cats live much longer.The primary mode of transmission for FIV is saliva via a deep bite wound from an infected cat. Cats housed exclusively indoors are much less likely to be infected, provided they do not come in contact with infected cats. FIV attacks the immune system of cats, much like HIV attacks the immune system of humans. FIV eventually leads to debilitation of the immune system in infected cats.

IMPORTANT NOTE: A cat vaccinated against FIV will show a positive result on all current methods of testing for the FIV virus. It is therefore impossible to distinguish vaccinated cats from truly infected cats. Microchipping is strongly recommended for an FIV-vaccinated cat. The microchip will help ensure that a vaccinated cat is not immediately destroyed if lost and recovered by an animal control facility.

Detection

FeLV/FIV Blood Test

The FeLV/FIV test is a simple blood test that detects the presence of either Feline Leukemia Virus or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus in cats.

A false positive result is possible in a small percentage of cats. So if your cat shows positive for either disease, a second test administered 30-60 days later is recommended.

This test can be a good way to screen your cat for more than one life-threatening disease at one time.

Vaccination:

Vaccination is not that effective – not recommended. There are different strains of virus and we are not always sure which is present in the population. The vaccine doesn’t contain all strains.

From: VIP Petcare