Risk factors in the presence of Feline Leukaemia
Abstract
This article analyzed the association of feline leukemia virus with several risk factors and its prediction in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. Using a quantitative approach, ELISA immunoassay was used to detect the presence of the virus in a sample of 90 cats from different areas of the city. The statistical methods were applied: Contingency Tables and Decision Trees. The relative frequencies of ViLeF-positive animals were determined; the factors were not associated with the presence of the disease. The results reveal a prevalence of 9% for ViLeF in the population studied, data consistent with previous studies at the regional and international level. Key variables such as cat age, household population density, and access to the outdoors were identified as influencing factors in HIV seropositivity. Decision tree analysis determined that the likelihood of developing the disease increases if any of the factors studied are combined. Adult male cats who live with more than one cat and have access to the outdoors are more likely to get sick. Similarly, when a young cat is not vaccinated and lives in a habitat with more than one cat in an urban area, the risk is very high, even if the animal lives indoors.
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