Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

An (FIV) Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, is a disease that infects cats and there is no cure, one of the most severe problems affecting cats, which emerged in the late 1980s, it is not transmissible to humans, but has the same complications faced by people with HIV.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.

No cure “AIDS” feline can be controlled in cats by means of medication, which allows the cats to follow his life for a long-time problems, however to be diagnosed in most cases only where the more severe symptoms begin to appear the disease may mean death of the infected pet, as the virus control treatment is more efficient in the problem being diagnosed cases at its beginning. Saliva is the main form of transmission of the disease among cats, and even today, there is no concrete evidence that sexual relations between cats can spread the disease. Still, it is good to remember that before the cat crossing, it is essential that its owner tries to meet other cats, preventing the virus can be spread, for wounds in different regions of the body can appear due to the intersection between the feline, which may be a factor for disease transmission. In most reported cases, feline AIDS has more chances of contamination when the animal is exposed to contact other cats who usually walk the streets, seeing the issues of fights between cats are the leading causes of transmission, a form of prevention that case is to prevent the cat get out unattended. The virus is transmitted through the saliva of cats and contact with blood so that the disease among cats living on the streets is more magnificent since these site’s facilitation and spread of the disease have a high impact.

The virus can be affected by cats of all breeds and ages, the big problem is in male cats, since the fight between them with bites and scratches have a greater spread of the virus, because the male cats come in many battles for territories and the females, which only increase the chances of infection, sexual relations between cats, has, in theory, no spread of the virus, but during this process, the scratches are typical, which can happen contagion, blood transfusion and the birth of infected cats, puppies are also transmission and believes that although the cats divide dishes of food or drink, or even sandboxes for a long time may be more prone to disease, as these objects may have accumulations of saliva remains of animals. The virus can be presented in numerous ways and have different forms of stages, thus as humans, cats take years before the manifestation of the disease, the immune system becomes damaged and fragile each period which causes other conditions may appear, cats with reasonably simple problems fail to respond to treatment and complications are more common, signs such as fever, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, anemia, mouth sores, skin and difficulties in the respiratory system, these signals vary from animal to animal , and there are four main stages of the disease. In the first stage, beginning next month to infection of the animal by the feline AIDS virus animal begins to have fever decrease in white blood cells in the blood, although at this stage the cat does not show any sign of the disease, those who are more debilitated They have problems with diarrhea and other illnesses.

In the first stage, beginning next month to infection of the animal by the feline AIDS virus animal begins to have fever decrease in white blood cells in the blood, although at this stage the cat does not show any sign of the disease, those who are more debilitated They have problems with diarrhea and other conditions where the cat survives this first stage, begins the asymptomatic carrier stage, and characteristics for a more extended period in which the cat has no symptom of any disease usually live, following start phase persistent generalized lymphadenopathy, where the lymph nodes appear in the animal started to have changes in their behavior, fever, loss of appetite and weight, as well as the first stage which can last for an extended period leading to the next stage disease.

The next stage is the stage of the problem, being named as the complex related to AIDS, where the chronic symptoms of the disease begin, causing various symptoms in cats at once, skin problems, respiratory, eye infections, and ear infections may show signs this stage, which includes fevers, diarrhea and gradual weight loss, through these steps, the cat reaches acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which is the terminal stage of the disease, coming with symptoms such as renal failure, lymphomas, and cryptococcosis (this affects the lungs and central nervous system). Clinical and laboratory tests are ways to diagnose the disease in cats. Therefore a veterinarian must be consulted if you suspect the presence of the virus in cats in the United States there is already a vaccine that prevents the cats of the disease; however, there is a discussion about this medicine, as the virus of feline AIDS has different subtypes, and the antidote can not immunize cats against them all. In cases of infected cats, puppies can be, on occasion, the false-positive results – due to the presence of maternal antibodies in their circulation – up to six months of life. The false-negative effects can also occur in situations where the disease is still very new and is in its final stage, so the test must be repeated to avoid mistakes.

For there will be no specific antiviral treatment for IVF. Generally, the same drug is used in human lines, such as AZT and other antiviral drugs, but the side effects are substantial, and there is significant patient survival. The cat may carry the virus for an extended period before symptoms appear. Therefore, treatment focuses primarily on extending the asymptomatic period, or if the symptoms appear, to smooth the side effects of the virus. Your vet may prescribe some of the following treatments:

• medication to secondary infections
• a healthy and palatable diet to encourage proper nutrition
• Fluid and electrolyte replacement therapy
• Anti-inflammatory
• medicine to strengthen the immune system
• parasite control.

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