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FIV

How is FIV Spread?
The primary mode of transmission is through bite wounds. Casual, nonaggressive contact among cats does not appear to be an efficient route of spreading FIV. On rare occasions, the disease is transmitted from an infected mother cat to her kittens during gestation, during passage through the birth canal, or when the newborn kittens ingest infected milk. Sexual contact probably is not a primary means of spreading FIV.
How does the virus affect the cat?
Following initial infection, the virus is carried to regional lymph nodes, where it may replicate in white blood cells known as T–lymphocytes. The virus then spreads to lymph nodes throughout the body, resulting in a generalized enlargement of the nodes. This stage of the disease usually passes unnoticed by an owner unless the nodes are greatly enlarged. Some time later––perhaps days but usually weeks to months––the cat may develop a fever and a drop in the white blood cell count. This decrease in white cells is due primarily to a lack of neutrophils, the white blood cells that help protect cats against bacterial infections, and to a loss of certain types of lymphocytes called T–helper cells, which play an important role in almost every aspect of immune protection. Anemia (or low red blood cell count ) also may develop, especially later in the disease.
Persistently infected cats may appear normal for years. Eventually, signs of immunodeficiency begin to develop, and the cat's ability to protect itself against infection is compromised. The same bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi that are found in cats' everyday environment––where they usually do not affect healthy animals––can cause severe illness in cats with weakened immune systems. These secondary infections are responsible for most of the clinical signs associated with FIV infection, and are the major cause of death in FIV–positive cats.
What are the signs of the disease?
Clinical signs of the immunodeficiency syndrome appear throughout the body. Poor coat condition and persistent fever with a loss of appetite are commonly seen. Infection and inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and mouth (stomatitis) are present in about half of the cats infected with FIV. Chronic or recurrent infections of the skin, urinary bladder, and upper respiratory tract are often present.
Persistent diarrhea can be a problem. Inflammation of the tissues of the eye occurs frequently, but in most cats the damage is not clinically apparent. Slow but progressive weight loss also is common, followed by severe wasting late in the disease process. FIV–infected cats have an increased risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as lymphomas, although the cancer risk is greater with FeLV infection. Abortion of kittens or other reproductive failures have been noted in infected queens. Some infected cats experience seizures, mental deterioration, and other neurologic disorders. Some FIV–infected cats have recurrent illness interspersed with periods of relative health between episodes. In those cases, low white blood cell counts and anemia also appear to cycle, with episodes of low cell counts followed by recovery to nearly normal levels. However, the overall trend seems to be progressive, with cell counts dropping lower with each subsequent episode.
FIV SUPPORT KIT