Does Feline AIDS Spread To Humans?

FIV or feline immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that only affects felines. Yes, it is the same disease that humans can suffer from, but feline AIDS is caused by a different virus, so AIDS in cats is not contagious to humans. That is to say, although one suffers from AIDS and in both cases, the defenses decrease significantly and the deterioration of the organism is the same, the causative agent is different and that of cats does not affect people and that of humans does not affect them. they. Therefore, now that you know that the answer to the question about whether feline AIDS is contagious to people is negative, you should not worry at all about living with a cat with this disease.

In addition, it should be known that due to its form of transmission it usually affects mainly unsterilized adult cats. Likewise, although prevention is best, in this case, there is still no vaccine for feline AIDS, so it is best to try to avoid contact between healthy and infected animals. It is good to know that living with an FIV-positive cat does not mean that we are going to take care of a cat that is always sick and that it is going to live a short time. Although life expectancy is difficult to predict, as it depends on the response of the animal’s immune system and its general condition, a cat that responds well to immune system treatment can live a happy and long life like any other.

FIV, like HIV in people, can spend a long time, even years, in a latent state, that is, the animal may not show symptoms for a long period of time. But, when there begins to be a significant decrease in T-lymphocytes and the immune system begins to weaken, that is when the first signs appear. Thus, between symptoms of feline AIDSor acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in cats, we can find the following:

• Lack of appetite.
• Gingivitis.
• Stomatitis.
• Weightloss.
• Conjunctivitis.
• Fever.
• Diarrhea.
• Memory loss and mental deterioration.
• Lack of shine in the hair.
• Recurring infections.
• Fertility problems.
• abortions.
• Appearance of other common illnesses and easy relapses, such as colds.

FIV is not contagious to humans, but it is very easily transmitted between cats and ends up producing the syndrome known as feline AIDS some time after infection.

So that there feline AIDS infection It is necessary that it occurs through a flow and that the concentration of the virus in it is sufficient, since if there is little concentration, transmission does not occur. It is usually transmitted by contact of a healthy cat with blood and saliva from a cat infected with FIV.

The most common way that a feline comes into contact with these fluids from another feline is that there are bites, so the main route is the bites from an FIV-infected cat. This contagion can then happen when cats fight or during reproduction, due to the fact that during courtship they can fight and when mounting, males usually bite females on the back of the neck. It is not proven that there is contagion through the little saliva that may remain in the feeders and drinkers or by licking another feline.

On the other hand, there have been many cases in which cats transmit the virus to their puppies. during pregnancy and lactation.

If you suspect that your feline companion may have this disease, it is vital that you go to the veterinarian as soon as possible so that they can carry out the necessary tests and diagnose it. Likewise, it may be that in the periodic revisions the vet detect it.

The diagnosis of feline immunodeficiency It is done through the observation of the symptoms that the animal presents, the physical examination and several specific tests to detect FIV or FIV. Sometimes, to be completely sure, it is necessary to do more than one test or send the tests to the laboratory, since in clinics it is not always possible to perform them well.

FIV itself has no treatment, but the symptoms are treated and the immune system is strengthened. For treat AIDS in cats veterinarians usually prescribe on a regular basis antibiotic and antimicrobial drugs to prevent and control infections, mainly bacterial, which usually occur due to the weakness of the animal’s defenses. In fact, if a cat dies of AIDS, it is actually due to the secondary diseases that she can contract due to this weakness.

For cats that present symptoms with inflammation, such as stomatitis or gingivitis, the specialist will also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. It is also often prescribed high calorie dietsince due to the deterioration they suffer they have a tendency to lose weight and the body needs nutrients in quantity and quality to improve its defenses and general condition.

Following the recommendations of the veterinarian, which usually include the aforementioned, cats positive for feline AIDS usually have a normal and long life, although everything depends on each case.

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