Hematological and Serum Biochemical Changes in Cats Naturally Infected with Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus in Thonburi district, Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV )and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV )are highly infectious, particularly among stray cats, with reported cases documented worldwide. This retrospective study analyzed cats infected with FeLV and FIV or co-infected with both in the Thonburi area of Bangkok from 2018 to 2022. A total of 830 cats were admitted to the animal clinic exhibiting clinical signs of depression, emaciation, ataxia, pale mucous membrane, gingivitis and corneal opacity. Twenty-nine cats tested positive for FeLV (3.49%), ranging in age from 2 to 60 months, while 16 cats tested positive for FIV (1.93%), ranging in age from 5 to 96 months and 30 cats tested positive for both FeLV and FIV (3.61%) with ages ranging from 4 to 108 months. None of the infected cats had received vaccination against FeLV or FIV and they were raised in an open husbandry system. Co-infection with FeLV and FIV was associated with a higher incidence of Mycoplasma spp. infection compared to cats infected with FeLV (P<0.001) or FIV (P<0.001) alone. Anemia was observed in co-infection with FeLV-FIV (24.24+9.97%), leukocytosis in co-infection with FeLV-FIV (21.3821.6610 3 cell/L), neutrophilia in FeLV (64.28+16.2810 3 cell/L), FIV (67.19+11.9210 3 cell/L) and FeLV+FIV (64.03+17.0910 3 cell/L). Thrombocytopenia was found in FeLV+FIV (247.13+148.9810 3 cell/L), with increased BUN in FeLV, FIV and FeLV+FIV, increased creatinine in FIV and elevated ALT in FeLV+FIV infected cats.