Putative progressive and abortive feline leukemia virus infection outcomes in captive jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi).
- Filoni C Institute of Biosciences, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Campus Botucatu, Rua Professor Doutor Antonio Celso Wagner Zanin SN, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18618-689, Brazil. claudiafiloni@gmail.com.
- Helfer-Hungerbuehler AK Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinical Laboratory and Center for Clinical Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Catão-Dias JL School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, 05508-270, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Marques MC Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo (FPZSP), Av. Miguel Stéfano 4241, São Paulo, São Paulo, 04301-905, Brazil.
- Torres LN School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Veterinary Hospital (HOVET), University of São Paulo (USP), Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, 05508-270, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Reinacher M Institute of Veterinary Pathology, University of Giessen, Frankfurter Strasse 96, Giessen, 35392, Germany.
- Hofmann-Lehmann R Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinical Laboratory and Center for Clinical Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- 2017-11-19
Published in:
- Virology journal. - 2017
FeLV-A
Intestinal B-cell lymphoma
RT-qPCR
Retrovirus
Wild felids
enFeLV
qPCR
Animals
Animals, Zoo
Brazil
Cat Diseases
Cats
DNA, Viral
Female
Leukemia Virus, Feline
Male
Phylogeny
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Proviruses
Puma
RNA, Viral
Retroviridae Infections
Serologic Tests
Tumor Virus Infections
Viral Load
English
BACKGROUND
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is an exogenous gammaretrovirus of domestic cats (Felis catus) and some wild felids. The outcomes of FeLV infection in domestic cats vary according to host susceptibility, virus strain, and infectious challenge dose. Jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi) are small wild felids from South and Central America. We previously reported on FeLV infections in jaguarundis. We hypothesized here that the outcomes of FeLV infection in P. yagouaroundi mimic those observed in domestic cats. The aim of this study was to investigate the population of jaguarundis at Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo for natural FeLV infection and resulting outcomes.
METHODS
We investigated the jaguarundis using serological and molecular methods and monitored them for FeLV-related diseases for 5 years. We retrieved relevant biological and clinical information for the entire population of 23 jaguarundis held at zoo. Post-mortem findings from necropsies were recorded and histopathological and immunohistopathological analyses were performed. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed for FeLV-positive samples. For sample prevalence, 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Fisher's exact test was used to compare frequencies between infected and uninfected animals. P-values <0.05 were considered significant.
RESULTS
In total, we detected evidence of FeLV exposure in four out of 23 animals (17%; 95% CI 5-39%). No endogenous FeLV (enFeLV) sequences were detected. An intestinal B-cell lymphoma in one jaguarundi was not associated with FeLV. Two jaguarundis presented FeLV test results consistent with an abortive FeLV infection with seroconversion, and two other jaguarundis had results consistent with a progressive infection and potentially FeLV-associated clinical disorders and post-mortem changes. Phylogenetic analysis of env revealed the presence of FeLV-A, a common origin of the virus in both animals (100% identity) and the closest similarity to FeLV-FAIDS and FeLV-3281 (98.4% identity), originally isolated from cats in the USA.
CONCLUSIONS
We found evidence of progressive and abortive FeLV infection outcomes in jaguarundis, and domestic cats were probably the source of infection in these jaguarundis.
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is an exogenous gammaretrovirus of domestic cats (Felis catus) and some wild felids. The outcomes of FeLV infection in domestic cats vary according to host susceptibility, virus strain, and infectious challenge dose. Jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi) are small wild felids from South and Central America. We previously reported on FeLV infections in jaguarundis. We hypothesized here that the outcomes of FeLV infection in P. yagouaroundi mimic those observed in domestic cats. The aim of this study was to investigate the population of jaguarundis at Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo for natural FeLV infection and resulting outcomes.
METHODS
We investigated the jaguarundis using serological and molecular methods and monitored them for FeLV-related diseases for 5 years. We retrieved relevant biological and clinical information for the entire population of 23 jaguarundis held at zoo. Post-mortem findings from necropsies were recorded and histopathological and immunohistopathological analyses were performed. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed for FeLV-positive samples. For sample prevalence, 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Fisher's exact test was used to compare frequencies between infected and uninfected animals. P-values <0.05 were considered significant.
RESULTS
In total, we detected evidence of FeLV exposure in four out of 23 animals (17%; 95% CI 5-39%). No endogenous FeLV (enFeLV) sequences were detected. An intestinal B-cell lymphoma in one jaguarundi was not associated with FeLV. Two jaguarundis presented FeLV test results consistent with an abortive FeLV infection with seroconversion, and two other jaguarundis had results consistent with a progressive infection and potentially FeLV-associated clinical disorders and post-mortem changes. Phylogenetic analysis of env revealed the presence of FeLV-A, a common origin of the virus in both animals (100% identity) and the closest similarity to FeLV-FAIDS and FeLV-3281 (98.4% identity), originally isolated from cats in the USA.
CONCLUSIONS
We found evidence of progressive and abortive FeLV infection outcomes in jaguarundis, and domestic cats were probably the source of infection in these jaguarundis.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- gold
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1186/s12985-017-0889-z
- PMID 29149857
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/11674
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