Síndrome da imunodeficiência felina

Abstract

Feline immunodeficiency is a viral disease that affects domestic and wild felines. It is transmitted by cat bites, through the placenta, collective use of food containers, mutual licking and blood transfusion. The disease leads to a progressive loss of immunological activity, which is associated with secondary infections, such as stomatitis, chronic gingivitis, respiratory diseases and, less frequently, chronic diarrhea and dermatopathy, but often infected animals are asymptomatic. This disease decreases the animals' quality of life, can be transmitted by apparently healthy animals and has no cure. For these reasons, prophylactic measures such as neutering male cats should be used to reduce wandering and fighting; keep animals indoors when possible and do not expose them to newly adopted cats.