Retroviral DNA--the silent winner: blood transfusion containing latent feline leukemia provirus causes infection and disease in naive recipient cats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is a gamma-retrovirus of domestic cats that was discovered half a century ago. Cats that are infected with FeLV may develop a progressive infection resulting in persistent viremia, immunodeficiency, tumors, anemia and death. A significant number of cats mount a protective immune response that suppresses viremia; these cats develop a regressive infection characterized by the absence of viral replication and the presence of low levels of proviral DNA. The biological importance of these latter provirus carriers is largely unknown.

Results

Here, we demonstrate that ten cats that received a transfusion of blood from aviremic provirus carriers developed active FeLV infections, some with a progressive outcome and the development of fatal

SUBMITTER: Nesina S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4687292 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature