Title

Pathological Manifestations of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Infection in Wild African Lions

Authors

Melody E. Roelke, National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Meredith Brown, National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Jennifer L. Troyer, National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Hanlie Winterbach, Tau Consultants (Pty) Ltd.
Christiaan Winterbach, Tau Consultants (Pty) Ltd.
Graham Hemson, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit - United Kingdom
Dahlem Smith, National cancer Institute at Frederick
Randall C. Johnson, National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Jill Pecon-Slattery, National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Alfred L. Roca, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign; National Cancer Institute at Frederick
Kathleen A. Alexander, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Lin Klein, University of Pennsylvania
Paolo Martelli, Ocean Park - Hong Kong, China
Karthiyani Krishnasamy, SPCA - Hong Kong
Stephen J. O'Brien, National Cancer Institute at FrederickFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2009

Publication Title

Virology

Keywords

FIV, Lentivirus, Lions, Wild, Free-ranging, Pathology, Immune depletion

ISSN

0042-6822

Volume

390

Issue/No.

1

First Page

1

Last Page

12

Abstract

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) causes AIDS in the domestic cat (Felis catus) but has not been explicitly associated with AIDS pathology in any of the eight free-ranging species of Felidae that are endemic with circulating FIV strains. African lion (Panthera leo) populations are infected with lion-specific FIV strains (FIVple), yet there remains uncertainty about the degree to which FIV infection impacts their health. Reported CD4+ T-lymphocyte depletion in FIVple-infected lions and anecdotal reports of lion morbidity associated with FIV seroprevalence emphasize the concern as to whether FIVple is innocuous or pathogenic. Here we monitored clinical, biochemical, histological and serological parameters among FIVple-positive (N = 47) as compared to FIVple-negative (N = 17) lions anesthetized and sampled on multiple occasions between 1999 and 2006 in Botswana. Relative to uninfected lions, FIVple-infected lions displayed a significant elevation in the prevalence of AIDS-defining conditions: lymphadenopathy, gingivitis, tongue papillomas, dehydration, and poor coat condition, as well as displaying abnormal red blood cell parameters, depressed serum albumin, and elevated liver enzymes and gamma globulin. Spleen and lymph node biopsies from free-ranging FIVple-infected lions (N = 9) revealed evidence of lymphoid depletion, the hallmark pathology documented in immunodeficiency virus infections of humans (HIV-1), macaques, and domestic cats. We conclude that over time FIVple infections in free-ranging lions can lead to adverse clinical, immunological, and pathological outcomes in some individuals that parallel sequelae caused by lentivirus infection in humans (HIV), Asian macaques (SIV) and domestic cats (FIVfca).

Comments

©2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NSUWorks Citation

Roelke, Melody E.; Meredith Brown; Jennifer L. Troyer; Hanlie Winterbach; Christiaan Winterbach; Graham Hemson; Dahlem Smith; Randall C. Johnson; Jill Pecon-Slattery; Alfred L. Roca; Kathleen A. Alexander; Lin Klein; Paolo Martelli; Karthiyani Krishnasamy; and Stephen J. O'Brien. 2009. "Pathological Manifestations of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Infection in Wild African Lions." Virology 390, (1): 1-12. https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cnso_bio_facarticles/493

ORCID ID

0000-0001-7353-8301

ResearcherID

N-1726-2015