Unusual FeLV situation

[Lizzie]

I haven't been in your situation where a postive turned negative after such a period of time, but the following web site indicates that different results can be obtained not just through a different test (ISA) but also whether whole blood or blood plasma is used. In fact, there seem to be a number of variables.

http://www.vin.com/mainpub/feline/aafpfelvdx.htm

My own experience was a litter of 3 kittens where one, by far the weakest, tested positive on the ELISA at 8 weeks but other two were negative. The positive kitten was isolated. Six weeks later all three were re-tested and that showed the original positive cat was still positive, one of the negative cats had become positive (Seshat) and the other (Ted) remained negative. Whether this was because the positive kitten infected one of the other kittens during the first eight weeks, we don't know. The two positive kittens were isolated together. The weakest kitten (Roo) died at 8 months. I continued to have the positive and negative kittens tested and they remained the same even though I reunited Ted and Seshat and they lived together for the next 6 years. Although Ted always tested negative, he definitely had a weak immune system.

I'm really pleased for you that one of the cats apparently threw off the virus.

[jenluckenbach]

Never seen this either, BUT.....here is a situation, in reverse. Maybe it is similar.

A coworker had a cat die of FELV. the cat had always tested negative.

The vet said FELV can "hide" in the bone marrow. I wonder if it can MOVE into the bone marrow, to possibly come out at a later date??

[Lizzie]

The vet said FELV can "hide" in the bone marrow. I wonder if it can MOVE into the bone marrow, to possibly come out at a later date??

That's what the vet suggested happened with Ted, that the virus was in his body (bone marrow) but hiding. He lived to 12 years and died of renal failure, but he never was in truly robust health. The virus seemed to be on a slow simmer all his life, hidden but effective, and never became full blown. I'm sure there is a lot more they have to learn about this virus.

The shelter where I volunteer has an area (including an outdoor enclosure) just for their FeLV+ cats. They do follow up the ELISA with an IFA test to be sure.

When Seshat tested positive I was told to expect at most three years but she lived for seven in part, I think, because she was old-style Siamese which is a tough and long-lived breed and partly because I pretty much dedicated my every waking and non-working-for-a-living moment to her. It was wrong of me because the other cats were side-lined too much but I think it gave her an edge to fight off any infections that came her way. It also made losing her that very much harder, I had a hard time hanging onto reality for the first few days.