Protection against oronasal challenge with virulent feline leukaemia virus lasts for at least 12 months following a primary course of immunisation with Leukocell™ 2 vaccine

The duration of immunity provided by a feline leukemia virus (FeLV) vaccine, Leukocell™ 2, was determined. Kittens were vaccinated when 9 and 12 weeks of age and were challenged 12 months later with FeLV-A/Glasgow-1. An oronasal challenge protocol without corticosteroid enhancement was developed in order to induce a persistent viraemia in a high proportion of adult cats. Fourteen of 18 (80%) of the vaccinated cats challenged in this way remained non-viraemic while 9/15 (60%) of age-matched controls became persistently infected, a preventable fraction of 63%. This difference was statistically significant ( P=0.038). For comparison, 10 of 12 (83%) 15–17-week-old kittens challenged in the same way became persistently infected, confirming the relative resistance of adult animals to FeLV. Tests for virus neutralising and anti-feline oncornavirus-associated cell membrane antigen (FOCMA) antibodies suggested that the former were more important than the latter in protection. Thus, Leukocell™ 2 protected a significant proportion of cats from FeLV challenge 1 year after primary vaccination as kittens.