Conference misery::feline_v1

489.0. "FTLV: a new disease :-( " by GLINKA::GREENE () Wed Feb 18 1987 18:52

    This week's issue of SCIENCE has a distressing article about a new
    viral disease in cats:
    
    	"...The new virus, called feline T-lymphotropic lentivirus
    	(FTLV), is antigenically distinct from other cat viruses and
    	from the [human] AIDS virus.  However, FTLV resembles the
    	AIDS virus in morphology...and in its ability to cause a
    	disease similar to AIDS."
    
    (quoted withOUT permission from editorial introduction, page 727,
    13 Feb 1987 issue of SCIENCE)
    
    Before anyone panics, the authors point out that there is NO evidence
    of cat-to-human infection.
    
    What is of interest here is that the studied cats were ALL free
    of FeLV (feline leukemia virus).  The authors suggest that this
    newly discovered feline virus may be quite widespread in the feline
    population, and may later be found to account for other related
    diseases (following the pattern of FeLV in the mid 1970's - 80's).
    
    
    What is also of interest here, but not specifically pointed out
    by the authors, is the fact that many cats that tested positive
    for FIP (feline intestinal peritonitis) were healthy cats.  This
    indirectly supports information I had received from a number of
    breeders and veterinarians:  that FIP is "out there" but only the
    occasional susceptible cat (e.g., one with FeLV, or some other
    weakness) will actually exhibit any signs of illness.
    
    This is a VERY technical article (most of it is far beyond me and
    would require detailed knowledge of virology and immunology), but
    I would be happy to send a copy to anyone requesting one (please
    send DEC mailstop).  
    
    If anyone has any less technical information on this, I would
    appreciate receiving a copy.

    I think I have written this elsewhere in this notes file but I will
    repeat it here. 
    
    There are safe vacinations for felv.  Your vet gives the cat a shot
    and takes a blood sample (the shot will not harm the cat if it has
    the disease).  The next shot is given a couple of weeks later and
    the results from the test should be in.  A month later the 3rd shot
    is given and then all other cats are yearly. 
    
    I did this with my five cats (none had felv) and it was relatively
    inexpensive.  I did the first three which cost $30.00/per cat.
    If you have more than 1 do them all at the same time because the
    real expense is sending the sample to the lab.  The other two were
    done seperately because they were acquired later on.  This cost
    $50.00 per cat.

    re: .1
    
    I think you may have misunderstood  the topic of discussion here.
    The base note is about a *new* feline disease called FTLV not
    Felv.  Felv has been around for a while now and has been discussed
    in this file since 1984.
    Jo Ann

    This disease has been renamed to FIV, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. 
    It is also commonly called Feline Aids.  I am currently working on the
    keywords and have rekeyed this note to the keyword FIV since that is
    what this disease is now called.
    
    Jo