FeLV, a retrovirus, is the most important infectious disease agent producing fatal illness in domestic cats today.
The feline leukemia virus is excreted in saliva and tears and possibly the urine and feces of infected cats. Prolonged, extensive cat-to-cat contact is required for efficient spread, because the virus is rapidly inactivated by warmth and drying.
A cat with FeLV disease may live for several weeks to several months, depending on how advanced the disease is at the time of diagnosis. However, it is impossible to tell how long any particular cat will survive.
A significant percentage of adult cats that are exposed to the virus develop immunity and do not become persistently viremic (i.e., will not carry the virus indefinitely in the blood and bone marrow). Usually those cats live out a normal life span. However, in some the virus may remain sequestered for a variable period of time somewhere in the body. It is thus conceivable that FeLV might break out and cause disease at a later date, after the cats have been stressed, or perhaps medicated with drugs that suppress the immune system.
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July 22nd, 2010 - 10:06 pm
do you know any of the symptoms. My cats behavior has really changed the last couple of weeks. I thought its because i wasnt around but now I scared he may have this. Please email me would greately appreciate it. thanks