Can XMRV Infect Cats?

[spindrift]

I found this study and am wondering if I am XMRV positive could I possibly infect my cat?
He sometimes draws blood when biting me while playing. In defense of the cat:
I was sick BEFORE I got the cat.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2704771/

 

[HopingSince88]

Hello Spindrift,

I am interested in the question you pose, also, but for a different reason.

Although I do not yet know whether I have XMRV, I do think about where I could have picked up this nasty thing. I have pointers to my Mom (dementia), and husband (died of a lymph tissue cancer). But one of the things that I thought about early on was my cat, and could she be a 'carrier.'

My cat is a great mouser. And being the kind-hearted person that I am, I have frequently saved a bitty mouse from the jaws of my cat. I have been bitten by my cat and I have been nipped and scratched by mice during these moments I decide to play the hero.

So just really interested in someone knowing more about the science to answer your question.

 

[spindrift]

Gerwyn kindly came to the rescue:

The study suggests that it is possible for XMRV to infectfeline cell lines in artificial conditions ina laboratory.This involves producing extremely high titres of viruses and culturing the cells producing XMRV and the feline cells in contact with each other.This is about as far from real life as you can get.There is no need to worry.

My cat sends a warm thankful purr to Wales.

 

[spindrift]

HopingSince88, as far as I know XMRV found in humans can not infect mice anymore, so I would guess they wouldn't be carriers of the virus. The science paper did say though that XMRV could not infect laboratory mouse cells but infected wild mouse cells, so I am confused.

Anyone know?

I just hope people don't start getting cat phobia.

 

[Gerwyn]

HopingSince88, as far as I know XMRV found in humans can not infect mice anymore, so I would guess they wouldn't be carriers of the virus. The science paper did say though that XMRV could not infect laboratory mouse cells but infected wild mouse cells, so I am confused.

Anyone know?

I just hope people don't start getting cat phobia.

xmrv cannot infect mice anymore due to a change in the structure of its evelope.cats cant catch XMRV by eating mice

 

[Countrygirl]

Hello Spendthrift,
I was very interested in your question because I have a similar query.

I don't know if you have seen it, but a few years ago Dr Ann Macintyre, in one of her documentaries on ME, mentioned that the illness is known to afflict horses. Also, my dog was diagnosed with 'doggie ME' by the vet. She collapsed after her third booster vaccination and appeared to display the symptoms of ME for the next 14 years. She couldn't walk much, was very lethargic and spent much of her life in my bed. Shortly after her diagnosis, there was a TV documentary that described this condition in dogs, which coincided with their third booster - just like with my dog.

Gerwyn, do you have any thoughts on this, please?

I would be curious to know whether dogs and horses can be infected with XMRV.

 

[JillBohr]

xmrv cannot infect mice anymore due to a change in the structure of its evelope.cats cant catch XMRV by eating mice

Gerwyn, I thought the mice could carry the virus but it does not take (sort of speak) because of the structure of the envelope, however, they could spread to other species and it will take to other species (eg. humans).

From J. N. Baraniuk Paper:

http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/sh...kemia-Virus-Related-Virus-in-CFS-and-Prostate

Xenotropic infection may have occurred during a period in which mice were a morsel in the human diet. It is not known if XMRV has entered the human germline or if it is communicably transmitted in the population. Humans are susceptible because XMRV can bind to human xenotropic and polytropic retrovirus receptor-1 (XPR-1) [16]. This protein may be a phosphate transporter or sensor and may act in coordination with prostate-specific antigen [17].

 

[Gerwyn]

Gerwyn, I thought the mice could carry the virus but it does not take (sort of speak) because of the structure of the envelope, however, they could spread to other species and it will take to other species (eg. humans).

From J. N. Baraniuk Paper:

http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/sh...kemia-Virus-Related-Virus-in-CFS-and-Prostate

very old mice ! sorry a joke xmrv has not been able to infect mice for about 60years(coffin).cell lines could carry the virus but not real mice. Mice lack the Xpr-1 receptorwhich other mammalian species possess.When Mulv infected mice it needed another kind of receptor not found in humans so it could not have jumped via a diet of mice

 

[Frank]

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a903582564

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a903582563&db=all

I know my cat was very sick (and died afterwards) when i got ill.

 

[Gerwyn]

Hello Spendthrift,
I was very interested in your question because I have a similar query.

I don't know if you have seen it, but a few years ago Dr Ann Macintyre, in one of her documentaries on ME, mentioned that the illness is known to afflict horses. Also, my dog was diagnosed with 'doggie ME' by the vet. She collapsed after her third booster vaccination and appeared to display the symptoms of ME for the next 14 years. She couldn't walk much, was very lethargic and spent much of her life in my bed. Shortly after her diagnosis, there was a TV documentary that described this condition in dogs, which coincided with their third booster - just like with my dog.



Gerwyn, do you have any thoughts on this, please?

I would be curious to know whether dogs and horses can be infected with XMRV.

The short answer is yes.Any mammalian species where the cells can express the xrv-1 receptor

 

[Gerwyn]

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a903582564

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a903582563&db=all

I know my cat was very sick (and died afterwards) when i got ill.

Hi Frank,
That is a very interesting survey.I wonder if person and pet could have been infected by a common source.Do we have any more info? anything else that links the activities that people enjoyed for example

Between species transfer of gammaretroviruses are exceedingly rare because of differences in TRIM5 alpha.Transmission within species is caused by biting or fecal contact.having said that all large mammals express the xrv-i receptor.There is also evidence that FLv can exist outside the host in a damp environment for over 7 weeks. i really dont want to speculate about interspecies transfer because there is no evidence that a gamma can do this in the absence of zoonosis

 

[spindrift]

Hi Frank,
That is a very interesting survey.I wonder if person and pet could have been infected by a common source.Do we have any more info? anything else that links the activities that people enjoyed for example

Between species transfer of gammaretroviruses are exceedingly rare because of differences in TRIM5 alpha.Transmission within species is caused by biting or fecal contact.having said that all large mammals express the xrv-i receptor.There is also evidence that FLv can exist outside the host in a damp environment for over 7 weeks. i really dont want to speculate about interspecies transfer because there is no evidence that a gamma can do this in the absence of zoonosis

Gerwyn, do you mean Xpr1 receptor? If not, what is a xrv1 receptor? And FLv is feline leukemia virus correct?

Researchers did infect macaques with XMRV. That would be crossing species wouldn't it?

And thank you ever so much for answering all of our questions.

Frank, sorry about the loss of your cat.

 

[HopingSince88]

Gerwyn,

Thanks you so much for your explanations. I have learned a great deal by reading your posts.

Respectfully,
Scientifically challenged....
Hoping

PS- One of the branches of my ancestry leads to Wales (don't know what city, though). Hope to get there to visit some day.

 

[lansbergen]

Gerwyn do you mean Xpr1 receptor? If not, what is a xrv1 receptor?

Gerwyn please can you clarify?

 

[oerganix]

Hello Spendthrift,
I was very interested in your question because I have a similar query.

I don't know if you have seen it, but a few years ago Dr Ann Macintyre, in one of her documentaries on ME, mentioned that the illness is known to afflict horses. Also, my dog was diagnosed with 'doggie ME' by the vet. She collapsed after her third booster vaccination and appeared to display the symptoms of ME for the next 14 years. She couldn't walk much, was very lethargic and spent much of her life in my bed. Shortly after her diagnosis, there was a TV documentary that described this condition in dogs, which coincided with their third booster - just like with my dog.

Gerwyn, do you have any thoughts on this, please?

I would be curious to know whether dogs and horses can be infected with XMRV.

It might not be XMRV, or not just XMRV.

According to research by Trevor Marshall, most if not all vaccines have the potential to include L-forms of bacteria, which are too small to be filtered out in the prevailing manufacturing process. These cell wall-deficient bacteria insert themselves in the immune cells (rather like XMRV is thought to do) where they cannot be detected or killed by your immune system or a short course of antibiotics. They can act sort of like spores, where they may remain dormant until such time as they get the "all clear" signal to leave the immune cells and begin rapid multiplication in the blood. This may be why longterm, pulsed antibiotics help some of us so much, and why many of us, and our pets, have had such bad reactions to vaccines. It may be the bacteria, not the mercury or thimerasol, that is damaging. Some of these L-forms also form biofilms, especially in the joints, which might account for the arthritis-like symptoms of us and our pets.

It won't surprise me to find out that XMRV is the gatekeeper/immune compromiser; after it is in place, it may empower viruses, like EBV, to do their dirty work, and also L-forms bacterias to come out of hiding. It seems like a lot of us have had a 1, 2, 3 punch before being knocked down.

 

[Countrygirl]

The short answer is yes.Any mammalian species where the cells can express the xrv-1 receptor

Thanks Gerwyn. The next obvious question is could XMRV be transmitted to our pets, if we are infected? It sounds as though the answer is yes, but I thought I had better check with you.

I wonder if you could answer one other question, which has been asked before. Can rodents other than mice, e.g. hamsters and guinea pigs, carry and transmit this virus to humans? Do they have the receptor?

Thanks Gerwyn

 

[Countrygirl]

I'm just replying to myself here. Have just googled Xpr-1 receptor, and, yes, guinea pigs do possess it. So in theory then they could be infected by XMRV and transmit it to humans. Is that a reasonable hypothesis Gerwyn? Haven't checked the hamsters yet

 

[Gerwyn]

I'm just replying to myself here. Have just googled Xpr-1 receptor, and, yes, guinea pigs do possess it. So in theory then they could be infected by XMRV and transmit it to humans. Is that a reasonable hypothesis Gerwyn? Haven't checked the hamsters yet

yes it is a reasonable hypothesis if we can work out where the guinea pigs got it from

 

[Gerwyn]

Thanks Gerwyn. The next obvious question is could XMRV be transmitted to our pets, if we are infected? It sounds as though the answer is yes, but I thought I had better check with you.

I wonder if you could answer one other question, which has been asked before. Can rodents other than mice, e.g. hamsters and guinea pigs, carry and transmit this virus to humans? Do they have the receptor?

Thanks Gerwyn

I really dont think we are a danger to our pets but could animals transmit it to us via bites or faecal contact.i fear yes

 

[Gerwyn]

Gerwyn please can you clarify?

sorry yes xpr1