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FELINE "AIDS" - UPDATE

First broadcast on www.provet.co.uk  


This information is provided by Provet for educational purposes only.

You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is now widespread throughout the cat population in the UK and according to a recent study it is a serious and severe disease

Like human HIV infection ("AIDS") the feline equivalent virus (FIV) is widespread in the UK and it is being increasingly recognised in cats that are ill for a variety of reason, especially in  cats with :

  • chronic respiratory disease or 
  • gum inflammation (gingivitis). 

Cats can also be infected with FIV without showing any signs, so it is important to screen "at risk" cats - especially cats that mix with feral or neighbourhood cats, particularly if they fight with other cats.

Lawson M.H. and Hosie M.J. (Veterinary Record (2001) 148 : 449-450) followed up 45 confirmed cases of FIV over a 1-5 month period and, when specific details were available, the survey revealed the following results :

  • Over half the cats were 5-10 years of age, and 83% were over 5 years
  • 78% were male cats
  • 75% were domestic short-haired cats.
  • 53% had died or were put to sleep
  • Only 22% of cats (7/32) remained symptom-free during the period 

So, the outcome for most cats that contract FIV is very serious, and further studies are needed to determine the factors involved so that strategies can be developed to combat the disease.

There is a vaccine against FIV in the USA and Australia

Updated October 2013