[Prevalence of FTLV (feline T-lymphotropic lentivirus) infections in cats in The Netherlands and in West Germany].

The prevalence in the Netherlands and the Free Republic of Germany (FRG) of the newly discovered retrovirus of cats, which causes an immunodeficiency syndrome in this species and is termed feline T-lymphotropic lentivirus (FTLV), was estimated by conducting a serological survey among cats with different histories of disease. In an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Petcheck, Agritech Trademark, Portland, USA) 265 samples of cats with chronic disease symptoms, and 78 samples of clinically healthy cats in the Netherlands, and 138 samples of cats with chronic disease symptoms in the FRG, were tested for the presence of FTLV-specific antibodies. All these samples had been taken from cats which were negative for FeLV antigen in the immunofluorescence test. In the groups of chronically ill animals 18 (7%) and 6 (4.5%) seropositive animals were found respectively, whereas in the group of clinically healthy cats no seropositive animals could be demonstrated.