hebert, i understand the fact that in terms of groups, FIV is closer to HIV than FeLV is, but I think it's very confusing to most people to say that they are comparable when you look at how they are transmitted. As you and i and gloria all say, FeLV acts more like HIV/AIDS than FIV does, and it seems that FIV's name itself has caused far more deaths than the virus itself. i keep thinking that, had it not been identified as a separate entity in the late 80s, (86? 87? i should be able to remember....) the heyday of the HIV/AIDS panic. Should FIV be renamed, so that the immediate association is no longer made, and so the misnomer, "Feline AIDS," would be less often used?
Or, perhaps, could we in the field, begin to add a disclaimer like, "FIV, while it is a lentivirus like HIV/AIDS, is less similar than is FeLV in its presentation in cats...." or something less pompous but more accessible.... it seems that, this summer, especially, there is LESS understanding all over this country, of what FIV actually is and does and how its transmitted! FIVs are, to be technical, coming out of our ears..... sigh. we still need to get researchers -- and funding sources -- interested in looking at BOTH of these viruses. MC -- Spay & Neuter Your Neighbors! Maybe That'll Make The Difference.... MaryChristine Special-Needs Coordinator, Purebred Cat Breed Rescue (www.purebredcats.org) Member, SCAT (Special-Cat Action Team) _______________________________________________ Felvtalk mailing list [email protected] http://felineleukemia.org/mailman/listinfo/felvtalk_felineleukemia.org
