A survey of FIV antibodies and FeLV antigens in free-roaming cats in the capital area of Finland. |
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| Authors: | A Sukura T Salminen L A Lindberg |
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| Institution: | Department of Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, Finland. |
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| Abstract: | Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) was first isolated and identified in 1986. Since then it has been shown to have a worldwide distribution, and the infection generally appears to have reached a state of endemicity. This is the 1st study of FIV-prevalence in Finland. Serum samples of 196 free-roaming cats were tested for antibodies to FIV and FeLV antigens (Feline leukemia virus). With a combined enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), 13 of the cats (6.6%) turned out to be positive for FIV and 2 for FeLV (1.0%). Adult male cats in the capital area of Finland had a FIV prevalence of 24%, a relative proportion 4.7 times higher than that for females. |
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| Keywords: | FAIDS feline-aids immunosuppression retroviridae lentivirus feline immunodeficiency virus epidemiology feline leukemia virus |
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