Feline vaccine strategy: prevention or commercialism?

Abstract

Through a retrospective study of data collection through the SimplesVet program used in a private veterinary hospital located in the Municipality of Belém - PA, with cats attended from September 2018 to February 2020, 145 cats were tested for positivity analysis in test the bidirectional flow immunochromatography kit (SNAP® Combo IDEXX) for Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and correlate the data obtained with the existing market vaccine strategy regarding the use of vaccines for such diseases. Individual variables were considered to verify the influence of the results. Only of six of 145 cats evaluated were positive for FeLV (4.14%), 11 were positive for FIV (7.59%). The animals affected by IVF had an age variation of (12 to 60 months), whereas, for FeLV, the age groups were from 1 to 5 months and 72 to 108 months. Male felines were more likely to be positive for IVF. The identification of factors associated with infection related to the animal's profile and the correlation with marketing strategies in the region, can be useful for detecting retroviral diseases in felines, as well as clarifying that, the search for individualized vaccine protocols, and although benefit from individual observations and experiences, should not be confused with anti-vaccination movements. Vaccines save lives, and there is a consensus that they should be used, with criteria, whenever possible.