Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV): Clinical manifestations and management part 2

Three clinical stages ate seen in FIV-infected cats. The first is an acute transient illness, characterized by a prominent lymphadenopathy; this is fo llowed by a largely asymptomatic stage Clinical AIDS-like syndromes occur d uring the final stage of FIV infection concurrent with an increase in viral load. Common syndromes include wasting, neurologic disease neoplasia, hema tologic abnormalities, and secondary or opportunistic infections. While tre at ment is primarily aimed at supportive care, antiviral treatment can down regulate FIV replication. No vaccine is yet available; however, vaccine dev elopment is an active area of research.