LENTIVIRUS INFECTION IN AN AFRICAN LION - A CLINICAL, PATHOLOGICAL AND VIROLOGICAL STUDY

In May 1991, clinical, pathologic, and virologic investigations were c arried out on an 8-yr-old male lion (Panthera lee), with recurrent inf ections, in captivity with two lionesses in the Zoological Garden of P istoia, Tuscany, Italy. The lion had severe pneumonia, neutropenia, th rombocytopenia, and an increase in blood urea nitrogen and creatininem ia; in spite of therapy, it died within 3 months. At necropsy, the ani mal had a lymphoma and other lesions similar to those described in fel ine immunodeficiency virus-infected cats. We identified FIV gag-sequen ce using PCR amplification of lymph node tissues.