TY - JOUR AU - Azadian, Amin AU - Hanifeh, Mohsen AU - Firouzamandi, Masoumeh PY - 2020/12/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - The incidence of aggressive behavior in cats naturally infected with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and its interaction with FIV disease progression JF - Veterinaria Italiana JA - VetIt VL - 56 IS - 3 SE - Paper DO - 10.12834/VetIt.1795.9466.3 UR - https://www.veterinariaitaliana.izs.it/index.php/VetIt/article/view/1795 SP - 169-176 AB - <p><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 500.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.974286);">A study was undertaken to determine the possible interaction between aggressive behavior </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 518.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.935584);">and Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) disease progression based on semi‑quantitative </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 536.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.96143);">viral load levels and health status in naturally FIV‑infected cats. FIV status was determined in </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 554.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.888532);">ninety‑six owned and stray cats, using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Aggressive </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 572.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.927092);">tendencies were assessed based on observation and the cats’ demeanor as determined by the </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 590.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.928401);">owners and shelter caretakers. Results showed that forty‑seven cats (49%) were PCR‑positive </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 608.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.926763);">for FIV infection and all aggressive cats were FIV‑positive (100%). FIV infection was significantly </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 626.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.940945);">linked to extreme aggressive tendencies and the extremely aggressive FIV‑infected cats </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 644.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.919041);">were more likely to have an unhealthy status compared to the non‑aggressive individuals </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 662.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif;">(</span><span style="left: 330.362px; top: 662.877px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</span><span style="left: 338.237px; top: 662.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.921338);"> = 0.022). There was also a significant difference (</span><span style="left: 636.747px; top: 662.877px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</span><span style="left: 644.621px; top: 662.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.927446);"> = 0.012) in the mean Cycle threshold (Ct) </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 680.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.975758);">values between the aggressive and non‑aggressive FIV‑infected cats and also between the </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 698.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.962156);">unhealthy FIV‑infected cats with extreme aggressive tendencies and the healthy FIV‑infected </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 716.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.957547);">individuals without aggression (</span><span style="left: 531.032px; top: 716.877px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif;">p</span><span style="left: 538.906px; top: 716.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.916617);"> = 0.001). Accordingly, results indicated that parameters </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 734.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.936878);">associated with FIV disease progression are directly linked to aggression. The possible impact </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 752.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.928493);">of FIV on the behavioral pattern of naturally infected cats should not be underestimated. </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 770.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.971045);">However, there is an urgent need to conduct more experiments to support the assumptions </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 788.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.955545);">about the possible exacerbation of aggression tendencies in naturally FIV‑infected cats </span><span style="left: 326.102px; top: 806.892px; font-size: 15px; font-family: sans-serif; transform: scaleX(0.985829);">following the direct effect of FIV through the course of the infectio</span>n.</p> ER -