The feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) cannot be transmitted to humans, a veterinarian said on the eve of World AIDS Day on Sunday.
FIV bears similarities to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and causes an AIDS-like syndrome in cats.
Cats infected with FIV might show symptoms such as weight loss, loss of appetite, rough fur texture, diarrhea, anemia, and inflammation around the mouth and gums, said Hsieh Yu-ta (謝侑達), a veterinarian at a government-run animal treatment and rescue center in New Taipei City.
However, some felines might not display any symptoms at all, Hsieh said, adding that FIV cannot be transmitted to humans, just as HIV cannot be transmitted to cats.
There is no treatment for FIV, and the most effective method for prevention is not allowing house cats to come in contact with strays, he said.
Cat owners should not worry too much if their cats are infected with FIV, as the virus is not as deadly to cats as HIV is to humans, with most infected cats living normal and healthy lives, said another veterinarian at the Bali Animal Shelter in New Taipei City.
However, to prevent the virus spreading, infected cats should not be let outside, he said, adding that neutering a cat can lower its desire to roam.
Meat should be thoroughly cooked before being fed to an infected cat to kill parasites, which, if ingested, might cause health complications, he said.
New Taipei City Department of Agriculture Director-General Lee Wen (李玟) said he wanted to raise awareness of FIV on World AIDS Day as part of the department’s efforts to curb the spread of the feline disease.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
The brilliant blue waters, thick foliage and bucolic atmosphere on this seemingly idyllic archipelago deep in the Pacific Ocean belie the key role it now plays in a titanic geopolitical struggle. Palau is again on the front line as China, and the US and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control over the Asia-Pacific region. The democratic nation of just 17,000 people hosts US-controlled airstrips and soon-to-be-completed radar installations that the US military describes as “critical” to monitoring vast swathes of water and airspace. It is also a key piece of the second island chain, a string of
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck about 33km off the coast of Hualien City was the "main shock" in a series of quakes in the area, with aftershocks expected over the next three days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Prior to the magnitude 5.9 quake shaking most of Taiwan at 6:53pm yesterday, six other earthquakes stronger than a magnitude of 4, starting with a magnitude 5.5 quake at 6:09pm, occurred in the area. CWA Seismological Center Director Wu Chien-fu (吳健富) confirmed that the quakes were all part of the same series and that the magnitude 5.5 temblor was
RSS