What kind of disease is FIV?

FIV is caused by a virus that is related to the HIV virus in humans that causes AIDS. FIV is therefore also called cat AIDS. FIV can only infect the cat and not the human. It is not a zoonosis !!

How can a cat become infected with the FIV virus?

The virus is transmitted via blood contact. Cats are particularly infected through fighting and bite wounds. Because males fight much more often, the percentage of infected males is twice as large as infected cats. The disease is most common among normal domestic cats that go outside. Cats that live indoors in a group where the ranking is determined will not easily infect each other because they do not fight much with each other.

Also with coverings there is often biting (neck bite) so that a cat can be infected by the male. A pregnant female cat can also transfer it to her kittens via the placenta and later via breast milk.

At FIV, the main transfer takes place much more through direct bite wound fighting and to a much lesser extent through long-term social contact. FeLV, on the other hand, is mainly transmitted through long-term social contact and to a much lesser extent by a bite wound fighting.

What are the symptoms of FIV?

The course of the disease is similar to HIV. The virus affects the immune system (immunosuppression) of the cat making it susceptible to all kinds of infections.
There are a number of stages after infection with the FIV virus: • 1. Acute stage. This stage can occur without symptoms of disease. Sometimes only some fever is observed.
• 2. Asymptomatic phase. The cat does not show any signs of disease at this stage. This period can last a number of years, sometimes even longer than 5 years. The cat can infect other cats.
• 3. Phase with vague, general symptoms such as recurrent fever, eye inflammation (uveitis) decreased appetite and weight loss.
• 4. AIDS related stage. This is the stage where the owner notices that the cat is not well. Common symptoms include: gum disease, eye inflammation, weight loss, lymph node swelling, tightness, diarrhea. These symptoms get worse over a period of a few months.
• 5. AIDS. In the end, some of the cats will reach a stage similar to AIDS in humans. The cat loses weight, gets chronic disease problems and all sorts of secondary infections that he cannot overcome, for example pneumonia. Neurological symptoms (nerve disorders) are often observed in cats with AIDS.

How can FIV be diagnosed?

Like FeLV, FIV can be diagnosed with blood tests. Antibodies against the FIV virus are detected by means of a blood test. Most cats make antibodies 3-4 weeks after infection. A one-time positive result means that the cat is infected.
The test method used is the Snap Combo test (ELISA) from Idexx. With this test the virus is detected in the blood.
some blood is taken from the cat and within a few minutes the result is known, you can wait for the result.

Can FIV be treated?

Cat AIDS is unfortunately not curable. The therapy consists of suppressing secondary infections with antibiotics. Specific antiviral therapy with Interferon from virbac is possible but is not 100% effective. It is an expensive treatment and is therefore not widely used in practice.

There is currently no vaccine against FIV in the Netherlands.

It is very important that cats that are diagnosed with FIV cannot infect other cats. This means that they only have to be housed and that they are no longer allowed outside. This is to protect other cats!

How can FIV be prevented?

The risk of infections with FIV is small in cats that are kept indoors. Cats that live in a group, get along well and therefore do not fight much are the least likely.

Cats that are kept in larger groups, for example in catteries or in animal shelters, must be checked regularly. Positive animals must be isolated from the negative cats.

If a new cat is introduced into an existing group, it is wise to test this cat before it can enter the group. The cat will then first have to be in quarantine for 4 weeks (kept apart from the rest) and then blood tests can take place.

And especially if you have your cat covered, it is very important that you see the negative test of the other cat, also note that the test is not older than 1/2 to 1 year.

What is the future for a cat with AIDS?
Due to the long period (on average 5 years) that lies between infection with the virus and the development of disease symptoms, cats with FIV have a better prognosis than cats with FeLV. They can usually have a good life for a few years before they get sick. Unfortunately, even a cat with AIDS will eventually die from the complications of the disease.

Most Information has been obtained from the address below.