can fiv transfer to humans?

FIV initially results in a short-lived illness that's often not even noticed by a cat's owner. Cats then enter a stage of progressive immune system decline, but many remain without symptoms for many years. In fact, research shows that FIV cats may have a similar life expectancy to uninfected cats.

While these cats may be prone to a variety of common diseases, there are no specific symptoms for FIV cats. An FIV positive cat may be more prone to chronic respiratory infections, skin problems, mouth inflammation and certain types of tumours, but there's no definitive rule.

Here are some frequently asked questions about FIV.

FIV is most commonly seen in unneutered male cats who've been fighting for territory. It's spread by biting and body fluids and doesn't spread in the environment. Kittens can sometimes be passed the infection from their mum, but many can clear it before they're six months old.

This disease is one of the main reasons why we strongly recommend that all cats are neutered at four months of age, as neutering can reduce a male cat's urge to mate, roam and fight.

While FIV is related to HIV in humans, there's no way that the cat virus can cross between species and infect people. FIV only affects cats, cannot be transmitted to non-felines.

Although there's no cure for FIV, some infected cats are able to live long and happy lives and can make wonderful pets. A vaccine exists to prevent FIV infection in America, but its use is controversial and it's not available in the UK.

Although FIV isn't easily transmitted between cats (only through deep bites and not via sharing food and other normal interaction), the risk means that a FIV positive cat should only be adopted into a single-cat household.

As FIV can't be transmitted to humans or other non-feline animals, an FIV positive cat is able to share his or her environment with a dog or other pet, as long as there are no other cats.

You should feed your FIV cat a good quality, balanced diet. They shouldn't be given any raw food or dairy products, as the risk of contracting foodborne bacterial and parasitic disease is greater in immunosuppressed individuals.

You should inform your pet insurance company if your cat is infected with FIV - just as with any other pre-existing condition. Each insurer offers different terms and conditions, but many don't provide payouts for pre-existing conditions or illnesses. Be sure to fully discuss FIV with any potential insurers.

Contact your vet quickly if you have any concerns that your cat has caught an infection, or shows any other signs of ill health. Visit your vet for an annual check-up and keep up to date with vaccinations. Make sure that you provide regular preventative healthcare, such as anti-parasite treatments, as recommended by your vet.

Q: I recently read information on your website that states that humans can "almost certainly not" contract FIV from a cat and that there was no evidence in owners, researchers, etc. However, were any of these people bitten or scratched by an infected cat? Also, can a human contract it by cleaning an infected cat's litter box? What if a cat licks you? "Almost certainly not" is not 100%. I don't have a cat, but my HUGE concern is that my babysitter, who I just hired for my 23-month-old child, has a cat with FIV (and I had never heard of it until two days ago when she told me). Please help!

A: There are a number of reasons for putting your mind at ease, a few I've which I'll mention here. First, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is quite limited in the ways it can be transmitted to cats, the only animals the virus is known to infect. With few exceptions, the bite of an infected cat is required; that is, virus present in the saliva of an infected cat must be violently passed through the skin of another cat. (On rare occasions, the offspring of an infected mother cat may become infected, but obviously this doesn't apply to your specific concerns.)

Researchers have found that some laboratory strains of FIV can pass through mucus membranes (like those lining the oral cavity), perhaps putting cats that live peacefully with an infected cat at risk of infection. One can easily imagine that if an infected cat grooms another, the virus in his saliva could wind up in the mouth of his cat buddy. However, there's only scant evidence that FIV can be transmitted to cats by non-aggressive-that is, non-biting-behavior.

Second, FIV remains viable for only a short period of time outside the cat, so none could be tracked in on your sitter or her clothing. It's widely believed that sharing litter boxes, feeding dishes or living space with FIV-positive cats will not place other resident cats at risk. People who clean litter boxes or feeding dishes used by infected cats are not at risk either.

Why Not 100% Certain? It's risky to say something like, "humans can never, ever become infected with FIV," because no one will ever conduct a study in which every person on earth is injected with a dose of FIV and then checked later to see if somebody got infected. So we're left with other ways to determine whether the virus poses any risk to humans. One of the ways is to study people with a high risk of exposure, like veterinarians and lab personnel who work directly with the virus. At least one such study has been conducted (and I was one of the guinea pigs), and no evidence of infection was found in anyone, even those who'd been bitten by FIV infected cats or accidentally injected with virus.

As FIV can't be transmitted to humans or other non-feline animals, an FIV positive cat is able to share his or her environment with a dog or other pet, as long as there are no other cats.