title: Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in wild Pallas' cats.
abstract: Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a feline lentivirus related to HIV, causes immune dysfunction in domestic and wild cats. The Pallas' cat is the only species from Asia known to harbor a species-specific strain of FIV designated FIV(Oma) in natural populations. Here, a 25% seroprevalence of FIV is reported from 28 wild Mongolian Pallas' cats sampled from 2000 to 2008. Phylogenetic analysis of proviral RT-Pol from eight FIV(Oma) isolates from Mongolia, Russia, China and Kazakhstan reveals a unique monophyletic lineage of the virus within the Pallas' cat population, most closely related to the African cheetah and leopard FIV strains. Histopathological examination of lymph node and spleen from infected and uninfected Pallas' cats suggests that FIV(Oma) causes immune depletion in its' native host.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA. brownmer@gmail.com
authors.forename: Meredith A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Bariushaa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Munkhtsog
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Troyer
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Rani
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sellers
authors.forename: Amanda E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Fine
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: Melody E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Roelke
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D002415:Cats / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D045991:Felis / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D016089:Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline / Q000235:genetics; D016180:Lentivirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008986:Mongolia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral