Immunodeficiency diseases manifest clinically as a predisposition to infections. They are usually recognized when an animal makes multiple visits to a veterinarian for infections that would normally be relatively easy to control. Two major groups of immunodeficiency disease occur:
One group is inherited as a result of mutations or other genetic disease. These primary or congenital immunodeficiency diseases usually develop in very young animals (< 6 months).
The second group of immunodeficiency diseases is secondary to some other problem, such as a viral infection or tumor. These secondary or acquired diseases tend to occur in adult animals.
One other general rule in diagnosing immunodeficiencies is that defects in the innate and antibody-mediated immune systems tend to result in uncontrollable bacterial infections, whereas defects in the cell-mediated immune system tend to result in overwhelming viral and fungal infections.
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Also see pet health information regarding immune disorders of dogs and immune disorders of cats.
