A lion lentivirus related to feline immunodeficiency virus: epidemiologic and phylogenetic aspects

This study characterized the lentivirus circulating in free-ranging African lions and confirmed it as a distinct feline immunodeficiency virus lineage (FIV-Ple) related to but divergent from the domestic-cat virus. Using serology and phylogenetic analysis of isolates, the authors documented high seroprevalence in some lion populations and described the genetic structure of the lion-adapted virus. The work was important in showing that FIV is not a single domestic-cat pathogen but an ancient group of species-specific lentiviruses widespread across the cat family. It laid groundwork for using FIV strains as natural genetic markers of host population history and for asking why these lentiviruses cause AIDS-like disease in domestic cats yet appear largely tolerated in their natural wild hosts.