The occurrence of feline leukaemia virus neutralizing antibodies in cats

✍ Scribed by Peter H. Russell; Oswald Jarrett

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 645 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910220320

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The prevalence of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)‐neutralizing antibodies to subgroups A (FeLV‐A), B (FeLV‐B) and C (FeLV‐C) was determined in four populations: specific pathogen‐free (SPF) cats; urban and suburban free‐range cats; cats from FeLV‐infected multiple cat households (MCHs); and cats with leukaemia. The prevalence of anti‐FeLV‐A antibodies was closely related to the frequency of isolation of FeLV‐A in each population, except in leukaemic cats. Thus, antibody was found in none of the SPF cats, in 4% of free‐range cats and in 42% of the cats in MCHs. In individual cats in MCHs there was a strong correlation between the presence of antibodies to FeLV‐A and the absence of an active FeLV viraemia. Anti‐FeLV‐B antibodies were encountered less frequently although FeLV‐B was present in about half of the FeLV isolates. It is likely that this was due to the restricted growth of FeLV‐B in cats. Surprisingly, in view of the very rare isolation of FeLV‐C, the prevalence of anti‐FeLV‐C antibodies was high: 11% in free‐range, 51% in MCH and 40% in leukaemic cats. None were found in SPF cats. The occurrence of these, unlike antibodies to FeLV‐A, was not related to whether or not a cat was viraemic. The relationship between the development of neutralizing antibodies and persistent viraemia was studied in experimental infections of cats with FeLV by inoculation or contact. The outcome of the infection was determined soon after infection. All of the classes of cats which were found in the epidemiological survey were observed in these experiments.