Great analogy, Maureen and it makes sense :)
I guess my cat, Sugar, must have cleared the virus since he was exposed to
it 24/7 for 6 mos. They bit one another playing, ate/drank out of the same
bowls, and shared the litter box. I know you have heard my story before, I'm
just sharing with the "newbie's".
It would be an extreme breakthrough if scientist could determine when the
virus is actually shed. I hope they accomplish this soon and my hope's are
that they are working on a cure as well.
Kiss those sweet furry babies today :)
L
----- Original Message -----
From: "Maureen Olvey" <molvey...@hotmail.com>
To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 4:46 AM
Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] doubts on two FeLV positive kitties
An antigen is any substance that causes your body to produce antibodies.
Foreign substances such as chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and pollen are
antigens.
So since a virus is an antigen it kind of sounds stupid to say the ELISA
test for the FeLV virus antigen. It sounds like it's saying the same thing
twice - it's testing for the virus virus. I guess it just sounds more
medical to say virus antigen instead of just virus.
Anyway, logically if the ELISA detects the virus in the saliva, blood, etc.
it seems like it would be contagious at that point. But if the experts are
saying that isn't so then I can't argue. Maybe it does have something to do
with the virus getting into the white blood cells and bone marrow before it
can be spread, like you were saying. Haven't read that but it is kind of
curious. This disease never makes sense and for every rule there's an
exception.
Oh, one thing in my book said that one reason not all cats exposed to it
don't get it is because they are not exposed to it often enough. Like
eating after another cat one time is not enough for the virus to spread. It
takes a long time, usually a couple months or so at least, with continuous
exposure for a cat to pick up the virus from another cat. The book said
about 30 % of cats exposed to the virus don't get it because either they're
resistant or don't have enough exposure to it. Another 30 % get it but are
able to extinguish it before it gets into their white blood cells or bone
marrow. 5 - 10 % put the disease into latentcy and then the remaining 30%
are the ones that get the virus and are not able to fight it off and will
test positive on the IFA and usually die from the disease.
Still don't know the answer to the question of whether the virus can be shed
at the stage where the ELISA is positive but the IFA is negative. If anyone
finds out let us know.
“I am not interested to know whether vivisection produces results that are
profitable to the human race or doesn’t….the pain which it inflicts upon
unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity toward it, and it is to me
sufficient justification of the enmity without looking further.” – Mark
Twain
Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 19:30:04 -0500
From: longhornf...@verizon.net
To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] doubts on two FeLV positive kitties
Great observations and lots of mystery with this horrible disease. It
would
be great if you can find out from that book about what an antigen is and
how
it works with the virus.
I'm no expert but have researched so much. It would be such a relief to
all
of us if we knew if the virus could be shed if the ELISA test is a true
positive (meaning it is in their saliva, blood, etc) or does it have to
reach the bone marrow first? Maybe that could also explain why some
contract
it and others don't. Am I making sense? It is confusing because it's not
B&W. There are too many exceptions with the FeLV. If you find out
anymore,
please share :)
Thanks for your input/research!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Maureen Olvey" <molvey...@hotmail.com>
To: <felvtalk@felineleukemia.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 02, 2011 6:23 PM
Subject: Re: [Felvtalk] doubts on two FeLV positive kitties
I always thought they could spread it if positive on ELISA but the book
didn't say that so I wonder. The book made it sound like they would
only be shedding the virus and contagious if the IFA was positive. It
said that the ELISA test for the virus antigen that's in the
blood, serum, saliva and tears. I looked up antigen before to see
exactly what that was, you know like whether it was the virus itself or
like an antibody, but I don't remember what it said. I know it's not
like an antibody. I'm not in the medical field so I have to look up a
lot of stuff. So is the virus antigen the same as the virus itself? I
need to go look that up again to try to understand again exactly what an
antigen is. If the virus antigen is in the blood and saliva and the
antigen is the same as the virus then why couldn't they spread the virus
if the ELISA test is positive but the IFA test negative. I've just
confused myself all over again ;-)
Interesting enough, somewhere
else it did say that if there was a latent infection, meaning the virus
is only in the bone marrow and T-cell lymphocytes (whatever that is), a
mama cat could infect her kitten in utero or while nursing. I'm not
sure if that means that the virus reactivates during pregnancy or if the
kittens can get a dormant virus. It's all so confusing.
But, I
would like to know if the virus can be shed when the ELISA is positive
but the IFA is negative so if anybody has any thoughts let me know.
“I am not interested to know whether vivisection produces results that are
profitable to the human race or doesn’t….the pain which it inflicts upon
unconsenting animals is the basis of my enmity toward it, and it is to me
sufficient justification of the enmity without looking further.” – Mark
Twain
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