Research overview: feline leukemia virus outbreak response and vaccination in the Florida panther

The detection of feline leukemia virus in the endangered Florida panther triggered one of the few field campaigns to vaccinate free-ranging wild cats. This overview synthesizes the outbreak response: intensified capture and testing, removal or isolation of progressively infected panthers, and deployment of an FeLV vaccine to build immunity in the wild population. It examines how the virus likely entered from domestic cats, the spatial clustering of cases, and the challenges of vaccinating elusive animals across a large landscape. The synthesis weighs the program’s apparent success in curbing spread against the ongoing risk of reintroduction. It aims to illustrate the practical, high-stakes management of an introduced domestic pathogen in a tiny endangered felid, and the lessons it offers for other small cat populations.