Client Education Articles
Revised Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) are the most common infectious diseases of cats. The Larimer County Humane Society is no longer testing for either disease. Testing and identifying positive cats is the only way to stop the continual spread of this fatal disease. It is recommended that all cats should be tested, especially new cats entering a household. Ideally this test should be repeated in 60 days with limited cat exposure during that time.
The prevalence of FeLV and FIV has been noted to be between 2-3% of the healthy cat population. Both viral diseases have a fatal prognosis since there is no cure. More than 50% of cats succumb to related diseases within 2-3 years after infection, so it is highly recommended to test your cat so further exposure to other cats can be avoided and proper management of your cat can be given.
To learn more about these diseases, refer to our archived article "Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus."