Feline foamy virus

Morris Animal Foundation Study Identifies New Virus in Cats

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Animal virology, Veterinary medicine, Virology, Microbiology, Lentiviruses, Feline immunodeficiency virus, Cat, Hepadnaviridae, Hepatitis B, Virus, Feline leukemia virus, Feline foamy virus

"The domestic cat hepadnavirus is in the same family as the hepatitis B virus of people.

Key Points: 
  • "The domestic cat hepadnavirus is in the same family as the hepatitis B virus of people.
  • "The importance of this finding cannot be overstated," said Dr. Kelly Diehl, Senior Scientific and Communications Adviser at Morris Animal Foundation.
  • The team at the University of Sydney, led by Beatty, first identified the virus in a feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-positive cat that died of lymphoma, a common cancer of cats.
  • The new virus was identified in 10 percent of the FIV-infected cats and 3.2 percent of non-FIV infected cats.