Can FIV infection be prevented?
• The best prevention is to keep a cat indoors. An FIV vaccine (Fel-O-Vax) has been recently introduced which confers substantial, but not complete, protection against infection. The vaccine is a dual-type, made from A and D Clade subtypes. Although there was initial concern that poor protection would be provided against other subtypes, particularly Clade B, which is the most common, a 2006 study suggested that the vaccine is effective against at least the two strains of Clade B tested. The mechanism of protection in such cases was speculated to be enhanced cell-mediated immunity, not antibody production. A recent (2010) study of a single Clade B virus found 71% protection from infection. One virulent strain resistant to the vaccine has been noted by U.K. researchers (ironically, given the make-up of the vaccine, a Clade A virus), and European skeptics, particularly, complain of lack of testing against European field strains. Many people and vets fear that because inoculating a cat wil
