Research overview: FIV diagnostics from antibody tests to PCR

FIV diagnosis traditionally relies on detecting antibodies, since infection is lifelong and antibody usually signals true infection in adult cats. Point-of-care ELISA tests give rapid screening, with confirmation by Western blot or PCR. Complications include maternally derived antibodies in kittens, which require retesting after several months, and past vaccine-induced antibodies that older tests could not distinguish from natural infection. Molecular PCR assays detect proviral DNA directly but vary in sensitivity across genetic subtypes. This overview synthesizes the diagnostic literature rather than a single paper, explaining interpretation pitfalls, why guidelines recommend confirmatory testing before life-altering decisions, and how layered antibody-plus-PCR strategies improve accuracy for individual cats and shelter populations.