A serologic survey of wild felids from central west Saudi Arabia.
Forty-five wildcats (Felis silvestris), 17 sand cats (Felis margarita), and 17 feral domestic cats were captured in central west Saudi Arabia, between May 1998 and April 2000, with the aim to assess their exposure to feline immunodeficiency virus/puma lentivirus (FIV/PLV), feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), feline herpesvirus (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV), feline coronavirus (FCoV), and feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV). Serologic prevalence in wildcats, sand cats, and feral domestic cats were respectively: 6%, 0%, 8% for FIV/PLV; 3%, 8%, 0% for FeLV; 5%, 0%, 15% for FHV-1; 25%, 0%, 39% for FCV; 10%, 0%, 0% for FCoV; and 5%, 0%, 8% for FPLV. We recorded the first case of FeLV antigenemia in a wild sand cat. Positive results to FIV/PLV in wildcats and feral cats confirmed the occurrence of a feline lentivirus in the sampled population.
Ostrowski
Stéphane
S
National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, National Wildlife Research Center, P.O. Box 1086, Taif, Saudi Arabia. ostrowski@nwrc-sa.org
Van Vuuren
Moritz
M
Lenain
Daniel M
DM
Durand
Alma
A
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002335:Carnivora; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002415:Cats; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016181:Feline Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D005254:Feline Panleukopenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D016582:Leukemia, Feline / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral