Lab 3.8

Question 1

SCENARIO: 5-year-old intact male cat
- lethargy, weight loss, nasal and ocular discharge, anorexia
-change in temperament; from friendly to fearful
-outdoor, fights

Physical examination findings
* MucopurulentOculo-nasalDischarge
* Cachectic(lossofweightandmusclemass)
* Painful Mouth with gingivitis, erosion of the gums and tongue
* Enlarged lymph nodes below jaw line
* Moderate flea infestation
* Pyrexia(41.0C)
* Dehydration
* PaleMucusMembranes
* Bronchial rales on auscultation

CBC
- Moderate-to-severe non-regenerative anemia
- mild leukopenia; low segmented neutrophils, mild monocytosis

Biochem
- hyperproteinemia

Presumptive diagnosis?

Answer 1

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

Question 2

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) acute symptoms

Answer 2

● Peripheral lymphadenopathy
● Fever
● Weight loss
● Anemia
● Gingivitis, and stomatitis
● Nasal & oral discharge
● Anorexia
● Behavioral change

Question 3

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Chronic cases are accompanied by:

Answer 3

• Opportunistic bacterial, viral, and fungal infections
• Progressive weight loss
• Severe wasting
• Chronic recurrent respiratory, ocular, and intestinal disease

Question 4

other name for FIV

Answer 4

“fighting cat disease”

Question 5

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) infects what cells?

Answer 5

Infects CD4+ T lymphocytes

Question 6

transmission of FIV

Answer 6

• Horizontal transmission by virus-contaminated saliva (bites)
• Vertical transmission (infected queens to their kittens)

Question 7

How would you explain the wide range of clinical findings, including the behavioral changes, from FIV?

Answer 7

• FIV attacks the immune system, leaving the cat vulnerable to many other infections
• Systemic compromise of the immune system’s ability to use lymphocytes
• More likely to acquire illness in different systems – oral, respiratory, GI, etc
• Pain associated with chronic inflammation and infection can result in behavior changes

Question 8

what tests do we run for FIV? what should we consider?

Answer 8

• FIV Antibody detection with ELISA SNAP

Key fact: when a cat is first infected with FIV, its immune system develops antibodies against the virus that persist in the blood for the rest of its life

Should we be concerned about false positive results?
- Infected mother transfer FIV antibodies to nursing kittens

Question 9

FIV vs FeLV diagnostic tests

Answer 9

• FIV Antibody detection
• FeLV is Antigen detection

Question 10

what vaccine options do we have for FIV

Answer 10

none :( was discontinued

Question 11

What is the prognosis for FIV (in general)?

Answer 11

• The lifespan of FIV infected cars is highly variable
• With management, cats can often live “normal” lives
• Cats with the virus can be asymptomatic for a long time
  > More than 50% are asymptomatic for 5 years
• 20% die within 2 years of diagnosis (which is often 4-6 years after infection if they are not tested until they are symptomatic)

Question 12

how do we manage an FIV positive cat?

Answer 12

• Visiting the veterinarian at least every 6 months
  > CBC, biochemistry, and urinalysis recommended
• Promptly treating secondary infections
• Providing a balanced diet (no raw foods)
• Controlling parasites
• Antiviral Zidovudine (AZT, Reverse transcriptase inhibitor)
• Reduce viral replication, but side effects
• FIV-infected cats should be spayed or neutered and kept indoors to minimize exposure

Question 13

What should be done to prevent FIV transmission?

Answer 13

• The most important measure for the control of FeLV and FIV is the identification and segregation of infected cats!
• Cats of unknown retrovirus status should be housed individually in shelters
• FIV-infected cats should be spayed or neutered and kept indoors to minimize exposure

Question 14

SCENARIO: sheep farm, ewes and rams:
- ewe: hopping like a rabbit and swaying on the back end
- rams: lack of co-ordination, biting their feet
- ram: scratching his side and, as a result, there was some wool loss

Thoughts?

Answer 14

think Scrapie

Question 15

histo lesions from scrapie

Answer 15

Spongiform changes in gray matter (vacuolation)

Question 16

how to confirm histopathological findings for scrapie?

Answer 16

• Obex: ELISA as a rapid diagnostic test

Immunohistochemistry and western blot are used to confirm - gold standard techniques

Question 17

how do prions transmit?

Answer 17

Exposure to disease associated prions from another infected animal (usually in the pastures)
● When an abnormal prion enters a healthy animal, it alters existing prions and changes their folding into the disease-associated form
>next animal has scrapie

Question 18

Clinical signs of scrapie

Answer 18

• Subtle changes in behavior or temperament
• Pruritus, loss of coordination
• Weight loss

Question 19

how fast does scrapie develop? how fast does disease progress?

Answer 19

can be very slow to develop - years
>once clinical signs show, animal will typically die within a few months

Question 20

First thing you should do if you encounter scrapie?

Answer 20

● In Canada, scrapie is a reportable disease OIE list 2020
- must contact the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)

Question 21

what happens to a sheep farm if scrapie is found there?

Answer 21

• Thorough investigation of his farm
  > flock records, including births, sales and exchanges of animals for at least the last 5 years
  > incidents of commingling with other sheep or goats from other farms
• Scrapie susceptibility testing by the CFIA
  > All sheep (9 months and older) will be genotyped
• Destruction and disposal based on genotyping results
  > Those animals considered to be at low risk (resistant) for scrapie infection are allowed to remain on the farm
  > Those animals considered to be intermediate and high risk (susceptible) for scrapie infection should be destroyed
• Cleaning and disinfection (prions are very resistant)
• Surveillance (5 years)
• Any sheep or goat over 12 months that dies or is euthanized on farm may be tested for scrapie

Question 22

important prion dieases in animals

Answer 22

• Scrapie (sheep) OIE list 2020
• Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, cattle) OIE list 2020
• Chronic wasting disease (deer, elk, CNS + other tissues)