The immune response of the cat to FeLV infection

Information is presented on various aspects of the humoral and cellular immune response as a result of the cat’s interaction with FeLV. The immune response must be effective and specific since the cat comes in contact with the virus, cellular and humoral immunity are responsible for controlling the infection, antibodies stop the spread of the virus and establish resistance to infection, lymphocytes (cellular) are responsible for eliminating infected cells and protect against the development of latent infection, so the quality and magnitude of both will determine the course of infection. Retroviruses can alter these mechanisms, the result of the interaction with the virus is not based solely on the immune response, there are factors specific to the virus: the subtype and viral concentration as well as the interaction of these factors determine the course of infection, if the immune response is low or absent, the host develops a progressive infection with persistent viremia and development of FeLV-associated diseases which can be fatal. Knowing the retroviral status of the cat and the associated risk factors is critical.