Affects: Cats
Feline foamy virus or Feline syncytial virus (FeFV or FFV) is a retrovirus and belongs to the family Retroviridae and the subfamily Spumaretrovirinae. It shares the genus Felispumavirus with only Puma feline foamy virus. There has been controversy on whether FeFV is nonpathogenic as the virus is generally asymptomatic in affected cats and does not cause disease. However, some changes in kidney and lung tissue have been observed over time in cats affected with FeFV, which may or may not be directly affiliated. This virus is fairly common and infection rates gradually increase with a cat's age. Study results from antibody examinations and PCR analysis have shown that over 70% of felines over 9 years old were seropositive for Feline foamy virus. Viral infections are similar between male and female domesticated cats whereas in the wild, more feral females cats are affected with FeFV.
Diagnosis: To have a proper diagnosis, one must take one's cat to a veterinarian who will perform multiple blood tests to look for the antibodies for FeFV. This testing is not always available and can be rather expensive for the pet owner. Furthermore, there is such a small correlation between FeFV and disease that testing is not always useful. If an animal is showing symptoms such as those for polyarthritis, veterinarians might examine the joint fluid and treat the symptoms.
Treatment: Currently, there is no treatment for felines with Feline Foamy Virus. However, ongoing studies are exploring the role of FeFV in viral gene therapy to treat other pathogenic feline diseases. Felines with FeFV often live long, healthy and disease free lives, which is of particular interest in the scientific community in the use of viral gene therapy.