Understanding Feline Leukaemia Virus







Feline Leukaemia Virus, or FeLV for short, is a type of virus known as a retrovirus, which means that it has the ability to incorporate itself into the cat’s DNA. Because of this, the majority of cats who come into contact with the virus will be infected for life.

FeLV causes a weakened immune system, anaemia, and can lead to certain cancers; however, cats may remain asymptomatic for years after infection.

FeLV is mainly transmitted via saliva, but can also be shed in blood, milk, and faeces. It is passed on through close contact, such as grooming, sharing food or water bowls, and even litter trays, but does not survive long in the environment. It may also be transmitted via bite wounds. Mother cats can pass FeLV to their kittens in utero or during lactation.

  • Neoplasia (cancers) such as leukaemia and lymphoma.
  • Blood diseases e.g. anaemia.
  • Secondary infections e.g. tick bite fever or snuffles.
  • Auto-immune diseases affecting the kidneys, eyes, joints, blood, and skin.
  • Neurologic (nerve disorders) causing muscle weakness and paralysis, urinary incontinence, eye diseases and blindness.
  • Other syndromes such as gastrointestinal disease, liver disease, reproductive disease, skin disease and gingivitis.
FeLV can be diagnosed with a blood test run in our in-house laboratory. There is a window period where cats may still be in the early stages of the disease and test falsely negative, so your vet may recommend repeating the test a few months later.

There is no cure for FeLV. The disease can only be managed by preventing and treating secondary illnesses. Good nutrition is vital to support these cats, as well as strict adherence to anti-tick/flea and deworming protocols.

FeLV positive cats should be taken to the vet at the first sign of illness as they will need more intensive care than a non-infected cat. FeLV positive cats should ideally be kept indoors, so as not to infect other cats, and minimize their chances of picking up other illnesses. Anti-viral drugs have been used experimentally, with no consistent success.

Sadly, most cats with FeLV will not live more than 3 years after diagnosis.

Fortunately, there are vaccines that can protect your cats against FeLV. All free roaming cats in South Africa should be considered ‘at risk’, so please speak to your vet about the best option for your cats.

Due to a rise in the number of FeLV positive cats being seen at the practice, we have now made FeLV part of our core vaccination program for cats.



Article written by Dr Kirsten Perling 


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