Plus-Hex CLINICAL
Data analysis
The data in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet were exported to Minitab15 . Chi-squared contingency tables were used in data analysis ( χ ² = ( O – E )² / E , where O represents the observed value and E represents the expected value ) to examine the relationship between variables such as sex / neuter status and prevalence of infection . Values of p < 0.05 confirmed statistical significance .
Results
Demographics
In 2019 , 869 stray cats were admitted into the care of RSPCA Finsbury Park Animal Hospital in north London . There was no record of the sex of 10 of these cats . Of the remaining 859 cats , 43 % were entire males , 17 % were neutered males , 33 % were entire females and 7 % were neutered females . A total of 433 cats were tested for FIV and feline leukaemia virus ( FeLV ) using the MEGACOR FASTest , while 436 were not tested .
Clinical
Of the 433 cats tested for FIV / FeLV , 20 % tested positive for FIV and 1 % tested positive for FeLV ( Figure 3 ). A significant effect of neuter status on FIV infection rates was observed when comparing rates of infection among the sex and neuter groups ( Figure 4 ); 40 % of entire male cats tested positive for FIV , compared with 6 % of neutered male cats . In female cats , 3 % of both neutered and entire females tested positive for FIV . A contingency table showed no significant association between neuter status and FIV results among the female cats . In this study , 89 % of all FIV-positive ( FIV +) cats were entire males .
Number of cats
Figure 3 . Number of cats testing positive or negative for FIV and FeLV out of 433 cats .
Positive
Number of cats
Negative
Male entire |
Male neutered |
Female entire |
Female neutered |
Figure 4 . Number of cats testing positive or negative for FIV , grouped by sex and neuter status .
Volume 39 ( 3 ) • June 2024
35