The natural occurrence of lentiviruses closely related to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in nondomestic felid species is shown here to be worldwide. Cross-reactive antibodies to FIV were common in several free-ranging populations of large cats, including East African lions and cheetahs of the Serengeti ecosystem and in puma (also called cougar or mountain lion) populations throughout North America. Infectious puma lentivirus (PLV) was isolated from several Florida panthers, a severely endangered relict puma subspecies inhabiting the Big Cypress Swamp and Everglades ecosystems in southern Florida. Phylogenetic analysis of PLV genomic sequences from disparate geographic isolates revealed appreciable divergence from domestic cat FIV sequences as well as between PLV sequences found in different North American locales. The level of sequence divergence between PLV and FIV was greater than the level of divergence between human and certain simian immunodeficiency viruses, suggesting that the transmission of FIV between feline species is infrequent and parallels in time the emergence of HIV from simian ancestors.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC241478PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.66.10.6008-6018.1992DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

feline species
8
fiv
5
worldwide prevalence
4
prevalence lentivirus
4
lentivirus infection
4
infection wild
4
wild feline
4
species epidemiologic
4
epidemiologic phylogenetic
4
phylogenetic aspects
4

Similar Publications

Burn-related neuropathic pain (BRNP) can arise following burn-induced nerve damage, affects approximately 6% of burned human patients and can result in chronic pain. Although widely studied in humans, data on BRNP or its treatment in animals is lacking. A 4-year-old domestic shorthair cat was presented with an infected, non-healing wound suspected to be a caustic burn.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Volumetric alterations in auditory and visual subcortical nuclei following perinatal deafness in felines.

Neuroimage

January 2025

Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address:

In response to sensory deprivation, the brain adapts to efficiently navigate a modified perceptual environment through a process referred to as compensatory crossmodal plasticity, allowing the remaining senses to repurpose deprived regions and networks. A mechanism that has been proposed to contribute to this plasticity involves adaptations within subcortical nuclei that trigger cascading effects throughout the brain. The current study uses 7T MRI to investigate the effect of perinatal deafness on the volumes of subcortical structures in felines, focusing on key sensory nuclei within the brainstem and thalamus.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Natural infection and diversity of hemotropic mycoplasmas in free-ranging Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi) and margay cat (Leopardus wiedii) populations in Southern Brazil.

Vet Microbiol

January 2025

Laboratório de Protozoologia e Rickettsioses Vetoriais (ProtozooVet), Faculdade de Veterinária (FAVET), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address:

Hemoplasma infection significantly impacts felines health, yet there is a research gap regarding free-ranging wild small felids. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the occurrence of hemoplasma in Leopardus geoffroyi and Leopardus wiedii in southern Brazil. For this purpose, we conducted molecular research for Mycoplasma spp.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Domestic Dogs Exposed to Orthopoxvirus in Urban Areas of Brazil.

Viruses

January 2025

Laboratório de Vírus, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil.

Domestic animals can share viral pathogens with humans, acting mainly as a bridge host. The genus hosts important zoonotic species that have emerged in urban areas worldwide. Nevertheless, the role of companion animals, such as dogs and cats, in the circulation of orthopoxviruses in urban areas remains poorly understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The first marine pestivirus, Phocoena pestivirus (PhoPeV), isolated from harbor porpoise, has been recently described. To further characterize this unique pestivirus, its host cell tropism and growth kinetics were determined in different cell lines. In addition, the interaction of PhoPeV with innate immunity in porcine epithelial cells and the role of selected cellular factors involved in the viral entry and RNA replication of PhoPeV were investigated in comparison to closely and distantly related pestiviruses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!