Artículo de revista
Feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus infection in free-ranging guignas (leopardus guigna) and sympatric domestic cats in human perturbed landscapes on Chiloé Island, Chile
Fecha
2015Registro en:
Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 51(1), 2015, pp. 199–208
DOI: 10.7589/2014-04-114
Autor
Mora, Mónica
Napolitano, Constanza
Ortega, René
Poulin, Elie
Pizarro Lucero, José Leonardo
Institución
Resumen
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are two of the
most common viruses affecting domestic cats (Felis catus). During the last two decades, reports
show that both viruses also infect or affect other species of the family Felidae. Human landscape
perturbation is one of the main causes of emerging diseases in wild animals, facilitating contact and
transmission of pathogens between domestic and wild animals. We investigated FIV and FeLV
infection in free-ranging guignas (Leopardus guigna) and sympatric domestic cats in human
perturbed landscapes on Chiloe´ Island, Chile. Samples from 78 domestic cats and 15 guignas were
collected from 2008 to 2010 and analyzed by PCR amplification and sequencing. Two guignas and
two domestic cats were positive for FIV; three guignas and 26 domestic cats were positive for
FeLV. The high percentage of nucleotide identity of FIV and FeLV sequences from both species
suggests possible interspecies transmission of viruses, facilitated by increased contact probability
through human invasion into natural habitats, fragmentation of guigna habitat, and poultry attacks
by guignas. This study enhances our knowledge on the transmission of pathogens from domestic to
wild animals in the global scenario of human landscape perturbation and emerging diseases.