SEROEPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL SURVEY OF FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS-INFECTION IN NORTHERN ITALY

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.