feline leukemia virus :: essays research papers fc

FELINE PANLEUKOPENIA VIRUSVirus ClassificationOrderMononegaviralesFamilyParvoviridaeSubfamilyParvovirinaeGenusparvovirusSpecies felid panleukopenia virusAlso called feline infectious eneritis, feline distemper, and feline ataxia or incoordination. Examples of other viruses belonging to the same genus as Feline panleukopenia virus include Canine parvovirus type 2, Porcine parvovirus, Mink enteritis virus, and Raccoon enteritis virus.Virus StructureFeline panleukopenia virus (FPV) is a small (20 nm) supreme , non enveloped, icosahedral, single-stranded DNA virus that is approximately 5,120 nucleotides in legnth. The genome encodes for two genes which each form two proteins by alternative mRNA splicing. The non-enveloped capsid is assembled from 60 copies of a combination of the overlapping capsid proteins VP1 and VP2. The virus contains three capsid proteins. The capsids normally enter cells by clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Replication of the virus in the host occurs in cells that a rgon promptly dividing. FPV can survive in pH ranging from 3 to 9. The virus is highly resistant to most disinfectants (ether, chloroform, acid, alcohol, and heat), but is susceptible to Clorox bleach.History and Natural biological science of Feline Panleukopenia VirusFeline panleukopenia is endemic to cats worldwide. The virus has been identified since the early 20th century. The virus is so severe that it was referred to as cat plague in earlier times when infections worldwide nearly wiped out cat populations in certain geographic areas. Now FPV rarely occurs in home(prenominal) populations in which inoculation is routinely practiced. There is a seasonality to the occurrence of FPV that usually coincides with the production of new populations of susceptible kittens. This seasonal effect may vary according to geographic location. In the northeastern United States, most cases of FPV are seen in the summer and early fall. However, outbreaks of FPV may occur at any time of the year . It is thought that feral domestic cat populations are a natural resevior for Feline panleukopenia virus.Clinical Features and Viral PathogenesisAll members of the cat family (Felidae) are susceptible to infection with feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), as are raccoons, and minks, in the family Procyoniclae. Three major body sytems are affected by FPV. FPV specifically depresses the white blood cells and thus the immune system of the host, it attacks the rapidly reproducing cells lining the gut, and FPV affects the reproducing cells of the cerebellum and the retina of the eye when they are in their developing stage. The system it chooses depends on the age of the cat at the time of infection.