Sarah Kechejian1, Nick Dannemiller1, Simona Kraberger2, Carmen Ledesma Feliciano3, Martin Löchelt4, Scott Carver5, Sue VandeWoude1. 1. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. 2. The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. 3. Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA. 4. Department of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg, DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany. 5. School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Our study aim was to document the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of feline foamy virus (FFV) infection in domestic cat populations presented to animal shelters located in Southern California, Colorado and Florida, USA. METHODS: We used a glutathione S-transferase capture ELISA targeting the FFV Gag antigen to screen domestic cat serum collected from cats with unknown owners at eight different animal shelters from Colorado (n = 105, three shelters), Southern California (n = 172, three shelters) and Florida (n = 31, two shelters). χ2 statistics determined location effect on seroprevalence. Bayesian generalized linear models were used to explore age and sex as potential risk factors for infection. RESULTS: FFV seroprevalence was 64.0% across all locations. Seroprevalence by location was as follows: Southern California 75.0%, Colorado 52.4% and Florida 41.9%, with Southern California's seroprevalence being significantly higher. Age had a significant effect on model fit for all locations, with adults having a higher probability of being infected. In Colorado, sex also had a significant effect on model fit, with males having a higher probability of being infected. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: We have documented that FFV is extremely common in stray domestic cat populations across varied geographic and ecological niches throughout the USA. Adult cats are at a higher FFV infection risk than young cats. FFV has been associated with a higher risk of other retroviral infections and has been implicated in several chronic diseases of cats. Additional epidemiological and clinical studies are warranted to investigate the potential impacts of FFV on domestic cat health.
OBJECTIVES: Our study aim was to document the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of feline foamy virus (FFV) infection in domestic cat populations presented to animal shelters located in Southern California, Colorado and Florida, USA. METHODS: We used a glutathione S-transferase capture ELISA targeting the FFV Gag antigen to screen domestic cat serum collected from cats with unknown owners at eight different animal shelters from Colorado (n = 105, three shelters), Southern California (n = 172, three shelters) and Florida (n = 31, two shelters). χ2 statistics determined location effect on seroprevalence. Bayesian generalized linear models were used to explore age and sex as potential risk factors for infection. RESULTS: FFV seroprevalence was 64.0% across all locations. Seroprevalence by location was as follows: Southern California 75.0%, Colorado 52.4% and Florida 41.9%, with Southern California's seroprevalence being significantly higher. Age had a significant effect on model fit for all locations, with adults having a higher probability of being infected. In Colorado, sex also had a significant effect on model fit, with males having a higher probability of being infected. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: We have documented that FFV is extremely common in stray domestic cat populations across varied geographic and ecological niches throughout the USA. Adult cats are at a higher FFV infection risk than young cats. FFV has been associated with a higher risk of other retroviral infections and has been implicated in several chronic diseases of cats. Additional epidemiological and clinical studies are warranted to investigate the potential impacts of FFV on domestic cat health.
Entities:
Keywords:
Feline foamy virus; United States; epidemiology; retrovirus; spumaretrovirinae
Authors: Fabian Romen; Michael Pawlita; Peter Sehr; Silke Bachmann; Johannes Schröder; Hans Lutz; Martin Löchelt Journal: Virology Date: 2005-11-16 Impact factor: 3.616
Authors: M Zemba; A Alke; J Bodem; I G Winkler; R L Flower; K Pfrepper; H Delius; R M Flügel; M Löchelt Journal: Virology Date: 2000-01-05 Impact factor: 3.616
Authors: Nicholas G Dannemiller; Sarah Kechejian; Simona Kraberger; Kenneth Logan; Mathew Alldredge; Kevin R Crooks; Sue VandeWoude; Scott Carver Journal: Sci Rep Date: 2020-01-31 Impact factor: 4.379