FASTest® FeLV

The infection with Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) occurs worldwide in felids. The prevalence ranges from 2% in Germany to 2-10% in Europe, dependent on keeping conditions and age (especially stray cats, day release cats, multiple cat households and young cats).

The infection with Feline Leukaemia Viruses is transmitted most of all by secretions (e.g. saliva), excretions (e.g. feces, urine) as well as intrauterine by blood transfusion and via colostrum. Flees also are discussed as potential vectors of FeLV infection.

As Feline Leukaemia Viruses can survive in the environment only for minutes, successful contamination only can happen during close contact to infected cats, e.g. mutual grooming, sniffing as well as injuries through biting and scratching.

Day release, sociable and young cats from uncontrolled multiple cat households are regarded as “risk animals” with significantly higher infection rates.

After an infection, for the immune system of the cat it is crucial whether the infection gets eliminated prior to viraemia (“regressor cat”, ca. 30 to 50% of the cats, p27 antigen test negative) or not (transient or persistent viraemia).

With an effective immune response during viraemia, the viraemia can be finished with (< 3 weeks post infection -> “regressor cat”: p27 antigen test generally negative) or without (> 3 weeks p. inf., infection of bone marrow -> latent infection: provirus test positive and p27 antigen test negative) complete elimination of the virus. The period of transient viraemia can be finished earliest after 3, latest after 16 weeks.

Without an effective immune response, the viraemia cannot be terminated leading to a persisting viraemia. These animals remain positive in the p27 antigen test through life time and usually die of FeLV associated diseases within 3 to 5 years.

The differentiation between transient and persistent viraemia only is possible by means of repeated p27 antigen testing.

In the occasional, atypical variant of FeLV infection (ca. 10%, the virus locally proliferates in bladder, eye, mammary gland), intermittent or slight p27 antigen production is possible. Therefore, these animals are not always and / or marginally positive in p27 antigen testing.

The most important feature of FeLV infection is the immune suppression. Due to consequent secondary infections, diverse clinical symptoms (anaemia, thrombocytopenia, reduced number of leukocytes etc.) of FeLV associated diseases (bone marrow suppression, immune mediated diseases, reproduction malfunction, neuropathies and tumours) often manifest only after several years.

Owing to the long asymptomatic period and the following diverse clinical symptoms, diagnosis of FeLV infection exclusively by clinical symptoms is not possible! Therefore, for all indistinct, therapy resistant or chronic diseases, p27 antigen testing shall be done as routine method of choice.

Neither maternal antibodies nor a FeLV vaccination influence the test result of the FASTest® FeLV.

Based on highly specific monoclonal antibodies, FASTest® FeLV is an important diagnostic tool for the evaluation of FeLV status before vaccination and of clinical suspicious cats, respectively.

• Test Principle :  Lateral flow
• Packaging :  25
• Pathogenic :  Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)