The importance of early diagnosis of feline immunodeficiency
Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31533/pubvet.v19n04e1760Keywords:
FeLV, pathogenicity, retrovirus, feline testing, viremiaAbstract
In recent years, felines have been gaining ground in Brazilian households. According to the IPB Pet Census, in 2021, there were 27.1 million cats in domestic homes. As a result, feline viral leukemia (FeLV) has become a major concern, as it is one of the most common causes of infection in cats and being associated with several clinical signs that compromise the quality and longevity of these animals' lives. For this reason, early detection of FeLV is essential, and is fundamental for making decisions regarding the immediate treatment of cats infected with the disease, as well as preventing and limiting the propagation of the infection. Knowing that vaccination and testing of animals has been reducing the number of cases of the disease, this paper seeks to inform about the importance of early FeLV diagnosis and how immediate treatment can provide the infected animal with a better quality of life, as well as reiterating the importance of testing and preventive measures against the disease.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Julia Costa Pereira dos Santos, Júlia Thuler, Anna Clara Alves, Laura Ponciano Venciguerra, Ana Carolina Degli Esposti, Alice Bueno Tarelho, Yasmin Naiadini Centeno Borges, Douglas Segalla Caragelasco
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