Topic: Disease deadly to cats reported in Clay Co. (KS)
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Disease deadly to cats reported in Clay Co. By: Elby Adamson, Contributing writer June 29, 2009
Cytauxzoonois, a fatal cat disease caused by a protozoan, is showing up in cats in Clay County according to local veterinarians.
The disease is nearly 100 percent fatal to domestic cats, according to Dr. David Salava of the Salava Veterinary Clinic who saw a cat he suspected had the disease about a week ago.
Vets at Kansas State University from microscopic inspection of the cat's red blood cells confirmed the disease. Dr. Salava said it was the second case of the disease he'd seen in about a week.
Dr. Dean Klentz of the Noffsinger Veterinary Hospital said he'd seen a couple of cases recently he believes were also Cytauxzoonois.
A microscopic one-celled organism that attaches itself to red blood cells causes the disease. According to the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine the disease is becoming more common as the parasite becomes more wide spread.
Sometimes called bobcat disease, Cytauxzoonois is harbored in the blood of bobcats. Bobcats sometimes die from it but most show few symptoms and serve as a reservoir for the disease, which is carried, from the bobcat to domestic cats by ticks.
Dr. Klentz said he believed the disease showed up in the southeastern U.S. in the 1970's and like West Nile and Lyme disease, it has spread westward. The disease is found in African ungulates and was somehow carried to the U. S. where bobcats became infected.
Cats suffering from the disease may show symptoms such as extreme lethargy and anorexia. Their mucus membranes become pale and the cat becomes dehydrated. Most cats die within a few days of contracting the disease.
Veterinarians look for the parasites that look like round or oval "signet rings" on the red blood cells of infected cats. Most cases occur from May through September when tick populations are high.
However, a Stillwater, Oklahoma family currently memorializing the loss of a family pet on the Internet had this to say, "He got bobcat disease from a tick even though he had frontline on. He was an outside kitty . . . lived on our deck and stayed there and in our backyard."
Their cat died on last Valentine's Day.
Even though it is not perfect protection, veterinarians still recommend treating cats for ticks. The disease is best prevented by tick control and keeping animals form tick-infested areas during warmer weather.
Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
**"Veterinarians look for the parasites that look like round or oval "signet rings" on the red blood cells of infected cats."**
I still say that the Cytauxzoonois (or Cytauxzoonosis) bug is uncomfortably similar to one of the Clonogen or Fry 'mystery bugs'.
I read a comment recently made by a veterinarian with a cat afflicted with Cytauxzoonosis.... his cat recovered. He said he 'cured' the cat with homeopathic remedies made for the cat with one of those electronic 'remedy makers'. Needless to say, he was extremely impressed given the fatality rate of affected cats. (I was impressed, too, though disappointed that he didn't go into any detail about the remedies.)
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Hey Tracy,
I have actually been reading a lot of abstracts on this disease. And although it does have a high fatality rate, some cats are surviving in a chronic state. Of course, the reason is still unclear, but there are many theories floating around.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Yes, I've read that, too.
This seems like a pretty nasty zoonotic bug.... and I never heard of it until you mentioned it on a thread here at LN.
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
What is really interesting to me is that the reservoirs are big cats... lions, panthers and bobcats... and it has been found pretty much everywhere.
So, one of the theories and many abstracts' focus is that it is mutating into new genetically altered subspecies that are more favorable to domestic cats.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Leelee
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19112
posted
We do not have any bobcats around here that I am aware of (thankfully). Can Fisher cats, fox or coyotes be reservoirs? We have plenty of them on our property.
Of course I hope not, and my cats are strictly indoors all the time but still I would like to know.
Also, can humans get this? And what about dogs?
-------------------- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King,Jr Posts: 1573 | From Maryland | Registered: Feb 2009
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Hey Leelee, from everything I have read so far, and I am not an expert here by any means...
Neither canines or humans have acquired this particular disease.
I don't know about Fisher cats, but if they are in the feline family, there is a possibility. I haven't yet seen anything on Foxes or Coyotes.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Leelee
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19112
posted
Thanks so much Melanie. I feel somewhat better now.
-------------------- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King,Jr Posts: 1573 | From Maryland | Registered: Feb 2009
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
It looks like the Fisher is actually in the weasel family. I can't find any documentation of it acquiring Cytauxzoonois, so I think you are safe there...
However, these are pretty mean beasts and will attack and eat your domestic animals. Yikes.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Leelee
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 19112
posted
quote:Originally posted by Melanie Reber: It looks like the Fisher is actually in the weasel family. I can't find any documentation of it acquiring Cytauxzoonois, so I think you are safe there...
However, these are pretty mean beasts and will attack and eat your domestic animals. Yikes.
I had never heard of a Fisher cat until a couple of months ago. It was actually someone on LymeNet who taught me about them.
I had posted a question asking for help in identifying an odd-looking animal I had seen on our property. It sort of looked like a cross between a fox and a cat. Someone responded that it sounded like a Fisher cat. I googled it and sure enough -- the photos were identical to what I had seen.
My dogs are sort of medium-sized and don't go out much and my cats all stay inside so I am reassured they are safe, but still, I keep a watchful eye.
Thanks again for your information.
-------------------- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King,Jr Posts: 1573 | From Maryland | Registered: Feb 2009
| IP: Logged |
Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
I never heard of a Fischer cat either..... interesting! I did see something odd in my yard late one evening a couple of years ago..... looked like a very large, dark-colored ferret. I thought it must be a marmot, but it wasn't that `bulky' looking.
Perhaps we've helped this `mutation' along by creating all these exotic hybrid cat breeds - breeding domestic cats with wild cats - and importing and domesticating cats like the African Serval Cat. For instance:
Bengal Cats - cross between a domestic and a wild Asian Leopard Cat (then subsequent `inbreeding' until the genetic traits become reproducible).
Savannah Cat - combination of a common domestic cat and the African Serval wildcat.
Habari Cat - a combination of several other exotic cat breeds into one breed of its own, but its ancestry is kept secret! (It obviously has some wild genes from somewhere, maybe from the Bengal Cat).
Safari Cat - a Geoffroys wildcat (common wild cat of South America) combined with a common domestic cat.
With Cytaux, I've read that cat-to-cat transmission is unlikely, though some form of the disease could happen as a result of bites from an infected cat.
I've wondered, too, about the several-fold increase of bobcats and mountain lions (at least in this area). Seems like everyone I know is looking for `barn cats' right now, because they just disappear. (Predators are getting them.) Some barn cats escape with non-lethal injuries, and though it may not cause disease directly, if the organism gets into the tissue of a domestic cat, it has a chance to mutate.
One other culprit could be that our pets are just like us: over-vaccinated. Somehow, this may be making us all more susceptible. This is much easier to observe in pets (rather than in humans) because of their shorter life spans.
On a related front..... I read this on another forum - haven't had a chance to verify it, and not sure how serious this is......
According to the radio show "Coast to Coast'', the H3N8 canine influenza virus is emerging in the United States. The CDC website indicates that this virus has been around for 40 years and has jumped species from horses to dogs. They announced that the H3N8 has emerged in Denver, Colorado and about five other places.
Could be bad news.
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
I'm sure you are correct Tracy that we have caused these mutations to occur even faster by our own interference in genetics on many levels and in many areas.
Yes, when I lived in CO, disappearing outdoor cats were just part of the reality of the natural food chain. I know that sounds rather harsh and insensitive, but it was how we felt about things.
The cats we had, while around, were 'working cats' to keep the mice at bay. They had a very good life hunting and doing their share of killing off the lower end of the food chain, and they in turn became part of it eventually.
The culprits blamed in our area were raccoons, mountain lions, bear, large birds of prey, wolves and wild packs of dogs.
I don't ever remember seeing a Fisher cat, but then again if they are nocturnal, I most likely would not have. We did have other nocturnal critters that came to drink from our pond, and during the winter months, their tracks were obvious.
I do know that several predator species have been reintroduced into areas where they had been killed off in the past. Of course, this reintroduces diseases as well into new areas, even IF given a clean bill of health. I remember reading specifically that our CO mountain lions were being reintroduced to several other states.
I also know that it is difficult to keep track of what is actually living in any given area, especially if the species is elusive. For example, one snowy afternoon, I watched as three grey wolves came down our mountain side and ate at something in the brush for a couple of hours.
It was absolutely fascinating! We contacted the National Forrest Service to find out more information on the wolves and they said that grey wolves had not been seen in our area for at least ten years!
Of course the tracks were obvious, and when we went to check out what had been in the brush, we found an elk carcass.
It was then that I learned wolves in a pack will eat up to 20 lbs of fresh meat at a time. And the behavior we witnessed of one keeping watch while the other two were in the brush, was a very common pattern.
I witnessed a wild pack of dogs take down a deer one day, and that was not a pretty sight. Actually, I am very surprised that my cat Bob survived three years on that property.
He would disappear for weeks at a time but always did come home with plenty of scars and a few abscessed wounds, but he made it. His brother, however, although I thought had become part of the food chain, went feral.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Wow, I had a very similar thing happen in about 1969..... my boyfriend and I saw 3 white wolves running across a large open area on part of our `upper country' pasture land. It is a very high, remote area - there are no dogs there. We got a good look at them - they were WOLVES! (And we found an elk carcass in the area where we first saw the wolves, too.)
When we told our story later, we were informed that there hadn't been any wolves in our part of the country for many, many years so what we saw must have been coyotes and we were mistaken. White coyotes? I think not.
Yes, `working cats' have a high mortality rate. And there's only so much that can be done to protect them.
I did know one couple many years ago who had a `pet' bobcat (he was found as an orphan). Bobcats from the wild do NOT generally make good pets. Even when `Louie' the bobcat was a kitten, I was not allowed to play with him unless he had eaten first, and I was never to be rough with him, etc. Even so, I'm sure I got a few scratches at the time.
Wow! Check this out..... apparently, there are still places that raise and sell bobcats and lynx as pets. The ones at this site seem to be kept with domestic cats....
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Really interesting Tracy! I guess our experiences in CO are pretty similar.
Speaking of lynx. One day were were driving into town on the highway and saw 3 baby lynx cats trying to cross it.
Feeling certain that they would be run over, we stopped. There was no Mamma cat in sight, so we thought perhaps they had been orphaned?
After about 30 minutes, we were able to catch only one of them, but did not want to separate it from the others, so let it back go.
We spoke with the same People as before about the lynx kittens on the highway and were told that Momma was most likely around, but was hiding when we stopped. So, after that we did feel better about letting the kitten go.
Goodness, they were so cute with those ear tufts and such a deep growl for such a tiny thing!
At the time, being the naive gal that I was, I also thought the kittens would make great pets. Later, I learned that it wasn't such a great idea.
That must have been an amazing sight with white wolves!
I'm very surprised that it is allowed to raise and sell wildcats! After reading that site, it looks as though the laws vary in each state.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well that's interesting. What I don't understand is why can a vet figure this out in a short period of times when doctors seem to take years and years.
Maybe we all need to be seeing vets??
Kathy
-------------------- You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Posts: 807 | From South Dakota | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Actually Aiden,
An educated vet is a very good resource for TBD information in your area. As they see our 'sentinel' creatures come in with diseases.
Canines, especially, are very good indicators of infection rates in any given area.
I think this is precisely why there are so many new abstracts being published re: Canine TBDs right now.
Now, an uneducated vet about TBDs can be a serious problem if faced with a sick animal. This is where we must do our homework and try our best to educate them with literature w/out crossing the 'I know more than you do' line.
It is a slippery slope, but can be accomplished with the right person who is willing to continue learning. I know because I have been able to do this with a few vets when my animals were ill with TBDs.
The issue I have with some vets, is that many place too much reliance on the tick panel testing results. If the new Snap4 is so accurate, why can't we use it? I still haven't found an answer to that question...
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
We don't have well educated vets here. I asked my equine vet, who also treats small animals, about Lyme. He said we don't have Lyme around here.
That was several years a go, so maybe it's changed since then. I hope so!
Kathy
-------------------- You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Posts: 807 | From South Dakota | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
I didn't realize it was still legal to sell or own 'wild animals' in certain states, either... but there's a prime example of bobcats and domestic cats sharing the same space.....
Wow, Melanie - it would have been hard to leave those Lynx kittens, but probably the right thing to do.
Aiden, sometimes, this IDEXX map can be of help when they say we don't have Lyme here....
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Thanks Tracy, that was exactly what I was going to suggest!
And... if you look here, exactly 23 cases have passed the strict CDC reporting standards from 1980 to the current date of 6-27-09 in SD.
The CDC's website even says that Lyme cases are under-reported by a factor of up to 12 times!
So, yes, you most certainly DO have Lyme disease in SD.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
this is an older abstract, 1996, but it shows that Ixodes scapularis IS found in South Dakota!
...
Keirans JE, Hutcheson HJ, Durden LA, Klompen JS Ixodes (Ixodes) scapularis (Acari:Ixodidae): redescription of all active stages, distribution, hosts, geographical variation, and medical and veterinary importance. [Journal Article] J Med Entomol 1996 May; 33(3):297-318.
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes (Ixodes) scapularis Say, 1821, is redescribed, based on laboratory reared specimens originating in Bulloch County, Georgia. Information on distribution, host associations, morphological variation, and medical/veterinary importance is also presented.
A great deal of recent work has focused on this species because it is the principal vector of the agent of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmidt, Hyde, Steigerwaldt & Brenner) in eastern North America.
Its distribution appears to be expanding, and includes the state of Florida in the southeastern United States north to the provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Canada, west to North and South Dakota, United States, and south to the state of Coahuila, Mexico.
Although I. scapularis feeds on at least 125 species of North American vertebrates (54 mammalian, 57 avian, and 14 lizard species), analysis of the U.S. National Tick Collection holdings show that white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann), cattle, Bos taurus L., dogs, Canis lupus L., and other medium-to-large sized mammals are important hosts for adults as are native mice and other small mammals, certain ground-frequenting birds, skinks, and glass lizards for nymphs and larvae.
This tick is a polytypic species exhibiting north-south and east-west morphological clines. Analysis of variance and Student-Newman-Keuls multiple comparisons revealed significant interpopulational variation that is expressed most significantly in the nymphal stage.
Nymphs from northern (Minnesota, Massachusetts, Maryland) populations had relatively larger basis capituli with shorter cornua (except Maryland) than southern (North Carolina, Georgia) populations. Midwestern populations (Minnesota, Missouri) differed from eastern populations (Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia) in idiosomal characters (broader scuta, larger coxae III, and IV).
In addition to Lyme disease, this tick is also a primary vector of the agent of human and rodent babesiosis, Babesia microti Franca. Under laboratory conditions it has transmitted the agents of deer babesiosis, Babesia odocoilei Emerson & Wright, tularemia, Francisella tularensis McCoy & Chapin, and anaplasmosis, Anaplasma marginale Theiler.
Moreover, I. scapularis can reach pest proportions on livestock, and females can cause tick paralysis in dogs.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Looks like there are a lot of counties in SD with no cases reported (dogs).... but is anybody testing for it in those counties?
You would think the Snap Test would work on us, too, wouldn't you?
We need to find a vet-tech with a recent, positive WB and have them do a Snap test on themselves.
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Any volunteers?
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Truthfinder: [QB] Looks like there are a lot of counties in SD with no cases reported (dogs).... but is anybody testing for it in those counties?
No, that's the problem.
Kathy
-------------------- You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Posts: 807 | From South Dakota | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Published: July 13, 2009 11:22 pm
No cure known for `bobcat fever' (OK) Dr. M. Margaret King The Edmond Sun
EDMOND -- Q: My cat Teddy was an indoor/outdoor cat and was only 3 years old. One day we found him in the yard on his side and he could not get up. We rushed him to his veterinarian, and after some tests were run, she said he had ``bobcat fever.'' He died after his second day in the hospital. Just what is bobcat fever and could we have prevented it?
A: Bobcat fever is a disease caused by a single-celled organism, a protozoon called Cytauxzoon felis. It causes an illness in our cats that is 90 percent to 100 percent fatal and is much more prominent in cats that go outdoors since it is spread by a tick bite. Most cases are diagnosed between April and September, and it is common in this area of the country plus the south central and southeastern United States.
The reason it is called bobcat fever is that bobcats serve as the reservoir host, but they themselves rarely develop a severe case, and rarely die from it. The ticks feed on bobcats and pick up the parasite, then feed on feral cats. These cats are prone to share both ticks and fleas with our pet cats, especially those that are ever outside.
The organism that causes the disease likes to live in the cat's red blood cells, macrophage and other tissues. The majority of signs a cat develops are based on the infected macrophage being overloaded with the protozoon and literally clogging up or obstructing small blood vessels. This leads to a thrombosis or a clot formation in that area and a lack of blood supply to tissues past the clot or clog. Cats develop a severe anemia and become jaundiced or icteric fairly quickly and have elevated liver enzymes.
Cats usually die within 5-7 days of showing signs. They present with lethargy, depression and fever, sometimes very high. The progression of the symptoms results in congestion of veins, or thromboses, organ failure and death. If cats survive more than seven days they have a much higher chance of long-term survival.
There is no form of therapy that is effective and most cats die even on IV fluids, antibiotics and anti-parasitic drugs, hospitalized, and with extensive supportive therapy.
Another strain of Cytauxzoonosis has been noted in the past two or three years to have a higher rate of survival. Oklahoma State University is actively seeking any cats that survive a confirmed case to try and develop a cure and/or prevention of this deadly disease.
Keeping cats safe and inside, along with applying a good flea/tick product is the best preventive strategy. The average lifetime for an indoor cat compared to one that is allowed to go outside is 10 years greater for the indoor cat when all causes of death are factored in.
DR. M. MARGARET KING, a longtime Edmond veterinarian, is a guest columnist. If you have any questions for her, send them to 1900 S. Bryant, Edmond, OK 73013.
Posts: 7052 | From Colorado | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic