Ev. Peri et al., SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL SURVEY OF FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-INFECTION IN NORTHERN ITALY, Veterinary immunology and immunopathology, 40(4), 1994, pp. 285-297
Four hundred and thirty-nine feline serum samples from cats with diffe
rent living conditions in the north of Italy were tested for antibodie
s to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and for antigen of Feline Leu
kemia Virus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A Western blot techn
ique was also used on the positive sera in order to confirm the presen
ce of specific antibodies to FIV. The Western blot enabled the detecti
on of a false positive serum. The prevalence of FIV infection in this
population was 12.5% and among the seropositive cats a greater proport
ion was male (74.5%) than female (25.5%). A correlation between the cl
inical status and the evolution of the pathology is described together
with a score based on the severity of the stomatitis in infected cats
. The Western blot patterns of positive samples were then compared wit
h the stage of the pathology. Statistical analysis on the distribution
of FIV in stray cats, cats with garden and courtyard access and stric
tly house-confined cats showed a highly significant risk of the infect
ion in the first group.