Feline Immunodeficiency Virus: Current Insights into Pathogenesis, Clinical Impact, and Advances in Treatment and Vaccine Development

Nahid Akhtar^1*Ragini Mishra²Shivakant Tripathi¹Santiago Redon-Marin³Manik Prabhu Narsing Rao⁴Andrès Felipe⁵Jorge Samuel León Magdaleno⁶Abdul Rajjak Shaikh¹Julian Ruiz-Saenz^3*Luigi Cavallo⁶Mohit Chawla^7*

• ¹STEMskills Research and Education Lab Private Limited, Faridabad, India
• ²Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
• ³Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
• ⁴Universidad Autonoma de Chile - Campus Providencia, Santiago, Chile
• ⁵Universidad Pedagogica y Tecnologica de Colombia, Tunja, Colombia
• ⁶King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
• ⁷KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a retrovirus that infects domestic and wild cats worldwide and causes a progressive decline in the immune system of infected cats. FIV infection is a major concern for cat owners, particularly those with outdoor cats or multi-cat households, as it can lead to chronic illness and a reduced lifespan in infected cats. The development of effective prevention and treatment strategies for FIV is essential to improve the health and welfare of cats. This review paper provides an overview of the current state of knowledge about FIV, including its epidemiology, prevalence, pathogenesis, risk factors, transmission, and management. The review also discusses the various FIV subtypes, their geographical distribution, and their association with different clinical outcomes. In addition, the review explores the clinical and pathophysiological features associated with FIV, such as oral and respiratory infections, neurological disease, renal disease, and cancer. The review also discusses the management of FIV-infected cats, including advances in the development of antiretroviral drugs and immunomodulators. The paper highlights the challenges associated with developing an FIV vaccine and provides a comprehensive summary of the latest advancements in FIV vaccine research. Additionally, an overview of adjuvants used so far in FIV vaccine candidates and future prospective regarding the application of adjuvants used in licensed vaccines for FIV vaccine has also been provided. Overall, this review paper provides a comprehensive and up-to-date summary of the current knowledge of FIV and highlights the areas that require further research to improve the treatment and prevention of this important viral infection in cats.