Study of the risk factors on the feline leukemia virus (FeLV) in the city of São Paulo

Author(s)

Juliana Junqueira Jorge

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD)
• Defense date: 2005-04-01

Examining board members

Mitika Kuribayashi Hagiwara; Mirela Tinucci Costa; Fernando Ferreira

• Advisor: Mitika Kuribayashi Hagiwara

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the risk factors of feline leukemia in a sample of 812 cats from the city of São Paulo. Blood samples of 812 cats were sent by veterinary clinicians from different regions of the city. Each sample had an identification form with the following factors: sex, age, access to the street, reproductive status, origin, number of contactants and breed. These factors were assessed in the risk factors analysis. The test used to identify the infected animals was the indirect immunofluorescence, with antibodies anti-FeLV (Primary Reagent for FeLV IFA, VRMD, Inc.) and the conjugate anti-IgG FITC (Secondary Reagent for IFA, VRMD, Inc.). Fifty positive reactions were found, corresponding to 6,16% of the total sample. The &chi;2 was used to select the variables to be analyzed by logistic regression. The results obtained through the final multiple model demonstrated that, in the studied population, the risk factors to feline Leukemia were: access to the street (OR=47,221; p<0,001), adoption from the street (OR=3,221; p=0,008) and age range between 3 and 6 years old (OR=3,046; p=0,009), with the first one considered the most important. Other factors associated with the infection in the univariate analysis, such as sex and reproductive status, became non-significant, having been overcome by the variable access to the street. (AU)