Feline immunodeficiency virus
species of virus
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus that affects cats worldwide with 2.5% to 4.4% of felines being infected.
FIV was first isolated in 1986, by Niels C. Pedersen and Janet K. Yamamoto at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in a colony of cats that had a high prevalence of opportunistic infections and degenerative conditions, and was originally called feline T-lymphotropic virus. It has since been identified in domestic cats.
Effects
FIV is known in other feline species, and in fact is endemic in some large wildcats, such as African lions. Three main clades of FIV are recognized as of 2006: FIV-Ple (lion), FIV-Fca (domestic cat), and FIV-Pco (puma). The host boundaries are usually well kept because of the limited types of APOBEC3 enzymes that viral infectivity factor can neutralize.
In the United States
Consensus in the United States on whether there is a need to euthanize FIV-infected cats has not been established. The American Association of Feline Practitioners, as well as many feral cat organizations, recommends against euthanizing FIV-positive cats, or even spending funds to test for the virus.
Pathology
The virus gains entry to host cells through the interaction of its own envelope glycoproteins with the target cells' surface receptors. First, the SU glycoprotein binds to CD134, a receptor on the host cell.
“Feline immunodeficiency virus” enters the record as species of virus. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Feline, immunodeficiency and virus can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Feline immunodeficiency virus” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Feline, immunodeficiency and virus provides the most credible route into that argument.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1129598. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1986 and 2006.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Feline immunodeficiency virus”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Feline immunodeficiency virus primary sources, Feline immunodeficiency virus archive and Feline research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Feline immunodeficiency virus”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Feline immunodeficiency virus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.