Hi Shelley,
This is coming from a very disgruntled person so take it all with a
grain of salt:)
I have pretty much given up on test results as accomplishing anything.
They seem just about useless in the long run, from my experience. For many
years I ran a rescue in FL. I was fanatic about testing. Everyone was Elisa
tested on intake, and again in three months, if we still had them. We offered
follow-up testing to adopters. No positives were allowed to leave, and every
one tested negative (both Elisa and IFA) at 3 months. I figured I was just
very, very lucky.
Fast forward. Two years ago I re-tested my whole population. Elisa
negative. All of them. Just after that, I added a new cat. He was in quarantine
for three months. Clean Elisa at both times. In March, he tested positive,
after a very stressful bout of struvite stones. I was devastated. Now what?
Well, since then one more (of my original household) has tested +. Another is
likely. I'm not re-testing everyone. I'll test as they need to go in for the
complications.
Here's what "Shelter Medicine" (UC Davis) has to say about FeLV testing;
"What additional tests are available?
Cats testing positive by the ELISA test on serum should ideally be retested
either using an ELISA test from a different manufacturer or by sending the
appropriate sample for an IFA test at a diagnostic laboratory. If both tests
are positive, the cat is very likely persistently infected. To be absolutely
certain, cats can be held and retested after 30 days if resources are available
and the cat can be appropriately housed and isolated (for the protection of the
cat and population; see below). Because the IFA is less sensitive (more prone
to false negatives) than the ELISA test, a negative IFA result in a cat testing
positive ELISA can not be taken as an indicator that the cat is not infected.
If the ELISA test is positive but the IFA results in a negative result, both
tests can be repeated in 30 days. If this strategy is used, a plan should be
made at the outset and clearly communicated to staff and foster parents
regarding what will happen with cats that test persistently positive a
fter the 30 day hold. A PCR test can also be run to help resolve any conflicts
in the tests. PCR is very sensitive, so a negative test result run by a
reputable laboratory indicates infection is unlikely. However, because PCR
testing is very sensitive to laboratory error, correct sample handling and
laboratory quality are extremely important."
Even so, the more I read, the less I trust ANY test to be accurate. Seems that
whatever the test, somehow there are ways it can prove to be inaccurate.
So, I am at a loss. I have four kittens suitable for adoption. All tested
negative. All have been vaccinated against FeLV. And yet, they've lived
(completely seperately, physically) in a positive household. I don't want to
subject any adopter to the possibility of the heartbreak of FeLV. So they'll
stay. And I quit rescuing, fostering and re-hab.
Maybe I'll learn more (or someone else will) and change my mind.
JME
Margo
-----Original Message-----
>From: Shelley Theye <ve...@bellsouth.net>
>Sent: Aug 14, 2013 9:57 AM
>To: felvtalk@felineleukemia.org
>Subject: [Felvtalk] IFA tests/PCR tests
>
>Hi,
>
>I want to bring Leo back in to get the IFA test. I was reading about the
>company that developed
>the IFA test, the National Veterinary Lab. Are they the company that most
>folks use or can
>my vet send to any lab, like Antech, etc. Is one lab considered more accurate
>than another?
>
>Are PCR tests done much? I think in England they are used more than the IFA,
>at least I recall
>reading that a while back on a website.
>
>Thanks so much for any advice,
>Shelley
>
>
>
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