Prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus in submissions of feline serum to a diagnostic laboratory in Atlantic Canada

The purpose of this project was to identify the prevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in the Atlantic region of Canada, and to determine possible association between FIV serological status and breed, sex, and age. Feline serum samples (671) submitted to the Prince Edward Island Diagnostic Services - Atlantic Veterinary College laboratory between January 1, 1988 and July 30, 1989 were considered eligible for this study. The majority of samples originated from Prince Edward Island (607). Testing was performed in duplicate using commercial 96-well ELISA test kits for FIV antibody. Results included a seropositive rate of 7.6% for all submissions. Mean age of FIV-seropositive cats was 8 years. There was an increasing risk of FIV-seropositive status associated with age. Prevalence of FIV among intact males was significantly higher that other gender categories. It is concluded that FIV is present in cats of the Atlantic provinces, and that its associations and prevalence are consistent with those found in other North American epidemiological studies..