FELINE LEUKEMIA

also called Feline Lymphosarcoma, viral disease of cats, one of the most serious diseases affecting small domestic animals. Symptoms include enlargement of the lymph nodes, depression, emaciation, and, frequently, diarrhea; there is no known treatment, and the outcome is usually fatal. A fluorescent antibody test developed in the 1970s produced evidence that the virus is present in many apparently healthy cats. The disease can spread among animals; however, there is no proved connection with leukemia in humans.