Showing posts with label disease transmission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disease transmission. Show all posts

Monday 26 August 2024

Overview of the diseases that can be transmitted to cats through ticks and fleas

A study looked at the diseases that a cat can acquire through ticks and fleas. This is a summary. It may be useful for cat caregivers.

Overview of the diseases that can be transmitted to cats through fleas and ticks.
Amusing but not amusing in reality! Image: DALLE. 

TICKS

Cats can contract several diseases from ticks, although these infections are generally less common in cats than in dogs. Here are some of the key tick-borne diseases that can affect cats:

1. Cytauxzoonosis

  • Cause: This disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Cytauxzoon felis.
  • Transmission: It is transmitted by ticks, particularly the Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum).
  • Symptoms: Symptoms include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, jaundice, difficulty breathing, and sometimes sudden death. The disease progresses rapidly and is often fatal if not treated promptly.

2. Anaplasmosis

  • Cause: Anaplasmosis is caused by the bacteria Anaplasma phagocytophilum.
  • Transmission: This bacteria is transmitted primarily by the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), which is also known as the deer tick.
  • Symptoms: Symptoms in cats may include fever, lethargy, joint pain, loss of appetite, and anemia. Although more common in dogs, cats can still be affected.

3. Ehrlichiosis

  • Cause: Ehrlichiosis is caused by bacteria from the genus Ehrlichia, with Ehrlichia canis being a common species.
  • Transmission: Ticks, particularly the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), are the primary vectors.
  • Symptoms: Infected cats may show signs such as fever, lethargy, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, and anemia. While rare in cats, it can lead to chronic infections if not treated.

4. Lyme Disease (Borreliosis)

  • Cause: Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.
  • Transmission: The disease is transmitted by the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis).
  • Symptoms: Cats may experience fever, lethargy, lameness, joint pain, and loss of appetite. Lyme disease is more commonly recognized in dogs and humans, but cats can be infected as well.

5. Tularemia

  • Cause: Tularemia is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis.
  • Transmission: It can be transmitted by several tick species, including the dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and the Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum).
  • Symptoms: Symptoms in cats include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes, and abscesses. Tularemia can be severe and is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can also infect humans.

6. Babesiosis

  • Cause: Babesiosis is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia.
  • Transmission: Transmitted by various tick species, though it's more commonly reported in dogs, cats can still be infected.
  • Symptoms: Cats may show signs of fever, anemia, lethargy, and jaundice. Babesiosis is rare in cats but can occur.

7. Hepatozoonosis

  • Cause: Hepatozoonosis is caused by protozoan parasites from the genus Hepatozoon.
  • Transmission: Cats typically acquire the infection by ingesting an infected tick rather than through a bite.
  • Symptoms: Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, weight loss, and lethargy. Hepatozoonosis is uncommon in cats.

These diseases highlight the importance of regular tick prevention and monitoring for symptoms in cats, especially in areas where ticks are prevalent.

FLEAS

Cats can contract several diseases from fleas, some of which can be serious or even life-threatening. Here are the key flea-associated diseases that can affect cats:

1. Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD)

  • Cause: Flea Allergy Dermatitis is an allergic reaction to flea saliva.
  • Symptoms: Cats with FAD experience intense itching, skin inflammation, hair loss, scabbing, and secondary skin infections due to excessive scratching and grooming. Even a few flea bites can trigger this condition in sensitive cats.

2. Bartonellosis (Cat Scratch Disease)

  • Cause: This bacterial infection is caused by Bartonella henselae and is transmitted by fleas.
  • Symptoms: Infected cats may show mild to no symptoms, but when symptoms do occur, they can include fever, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, and inflammation of the gums, eyes, or heart. Cats can also transmit this disease to humans through scratches or bites, where it may cause swollen lymph nodes, fever, and other symptoms.

3. Hemoplasmosis (Feline Hemotropic Mycoplasmosis)

  • Cause: This disease is caused by blood-borne bacteria known as Mycoplasma haemofelis and related species, transmitted by flea bites.
  • Symptoms: Cats with hemoplasmosis may develop anemia, fever, weakness, loss of appetite, and jaundice. The disease can be severe, especially in immunocompromised cats or those with other underlying health conditions.

4. Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum)

  • Cause: Tapeworm infection occurs when a cat ingests a flea that is carrying the tapeworm larvae.
  • Symptoms: Infected cats may show signs of weight loss, vomiting, or see small segments of the tapeworm (resembling grains of rice) around the anus or in the feces. While not usually severe, tapeworms can cause discomfort and gastrointestinal upset.

5. Flea-Borne Rickettsiosis

  • Cause: Caused by Rickettsia felis, a type of bacteria transmitted by fleas.
  • Symptoms: Infected cats might show non-specific symptoms such as fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite. Though more commonly recognized in humans, rickettsiosis can affect cats as well.

6. Plague (Yersinia pestis)

  • Cause: While rare, fleas can transmit the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which causes the plague.
  • Symptoms: Cats with plague may exhibit fever, swollen lymph nodes, respiratory distress, and lethargy. This disease is very serious and can be fatal if not treated promptly. It's also zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted to humans.

7. Flea-Borne Typhus

  • Cause: Flea-borne typhus is caused by Rickettsia typhi, transmitted by fleas.
  • Symptoms: Symptoms in cats are generally mild but can include fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite. The disease is more commonly recognized in humans, particularly in regions where flea infestations are prevalent.

8. Feline Infectious Anemia

  • Cause: Feline infectious anemia is primarily associated with Mycoplasma haemofelis and similar organisms, which are transmitted by fleas.
  • Symptoms: Anemia, lethargy, weakness, and jaundice are common signs. Severe cases can lead to life-threatening conditions if not treated.

These diseases highlight the importance of flea prevention and control in cats. Regular use of veterinary-approved flea preventatives can help protect cats from these flea-associated diseases.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

Tuesday 11 July 2023

Cats can get bird flu by eating raw chicken necks and experts recommend feeding raw chicken necks to domestic cats

You may have heard about the bird flu outbreak among domestic cats in Poland. It is reported that at least 24 sick or dead cats tested positive for H5N1 in Poland according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. There are uncertainties about how the cats contracted the disease but 13 were found to have been fed raw poultry meat.

Bird flu
Bird flu. Image: MikeB

My mind then jumped to advice that you can read on the Internet from various sources including veterinary websites about the benefit of feeding domestic cats with the raw neck of poultry because it is very good for the teeth and it is cartilaginous which minimises the harm that they might experience when biting into bones.

You can also feed domestic cats bird wings. Once again, the idea is to improve gum health because, to be frank, the large pelleted dry cat food is not that great at cleaning teeth and preventing the buildup of calculus along the gum line.

Dr. Bruce Fogle DVM and author recommends feeding raw chicken to cats so that they can bite on bone. There is a risk but he argues that the benefit outweighs the risk.

At present, with a bird flu epidemic in Poland and with bird flu present in other countries including the UK, I would suggest that people should not feed their cat companions with chicken neck because the risk/reward balance has been shifted by the presence of bird flu.

"H5N8 and H5N1 bird flu have been found in some poultry, other captive birds and wild birds in the UK." - NHS

The disease is zoonotic and therefore it can be transmitted from birds to cats as we can see from the Polish problem. In Poland, incidentally, one cat owner said that she feed her cat raw chicken purchased from a large supermarket chain. Within days of eating the raw chicken her cat became drowsy. A veterinarian suspected a cold but within days her cat began to lose balance and she fell off a chair.

Her hind legs were paralysed and she stopped eating completely. Antibiotics and steroids were unable to help and the cat died seven days after eating the raw meat.

Thursday 9 February 2023

Should I remove a tick from my cat as soon as possible?

Yes, ticks should be removed as soon as possible. What I like about this photograph - even though it is ugly because of the fact that there are tics attached to this cat's ear - is that it shows you where tics often end up on cats which is, as mentioned, inside the ear flaps. 

I guess this is a convenient height for a tick because they sit on long grass and then crawl off the grass onto a cat that has perhaps been sitting in the grass for a while. Or they are passing through slowly.

Ticks on a cat's ear flap
Ticks on a cat's ear flap. Image: u/PrashantThapliyal

The ticks walked off the grass onto the cat and attached themselves to the insides of the ear in this case. This particular cat has several tics. Perhaps he or she goes to the same place outside the home all the time and it happens to be a place where there is an infestation of ticks.

The owner asks on social media what they are and what to do about them and whether he should remove them.

This leads me to the next issue. Ticks should be removed quickly. In fact, an owner should check their cat at convenient moments if they are an inside/outside cat. What I mean they should be checked at any convenient moment when the caregiver is handling their cat or interacting with their cat in some way including petting.

Lyme Disease in Cats (reinforcing an indoor lifestyle).

It's important because studies have shown that infected deer ticks (infected with the species of bacteria that causes Lyme disease - Borrelia burgdorferi) begin to transmit the bacteria to the host after they've been attached for 36-48 hours.

This means that there is a window of opportunity between the time that they became attached to their host and the beginning of the time when they deliver the bacteria to the host in their saliva. And that window is around 36-48 hours.

If you remove a tick within that timeframe there is very little chance of the host contracting Lyme disease.

Anyone removing a tick should wear gloves and avoid touching the tick with bare hands. They should wash their hands after disposing of the tick in a jar of alcohol. This is because the aforesaid disease can be transmitted to humans just as easily as it can be to cats or any other animal who is the host for this ectoparasite.

"Although deer ticks have been identified in every U.S. state except Hawaii, they are most commonly found along the eastern coast of the United States from Florida to Maine and as far west as Texas. They are also located in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwest United States." - Tick Check website.

Thursday 17 June 2021

May 2021: spike in bobcat fever in middle Georgia, USA

Five counties of Georgia in particular have seen a significant increase in cases of cystauxzoonis a.k.a. bobcat fever which is caused by a protozoan and not bacteria. A bacterial infection can be cured with antibiotics but this disease is deadly to cats with more than 70% of infected domestic cat dying unless they receive urgent veterinary care. The disease results in protozoal sepsis. There is a systemic inflammatory response and the symptoms are: difficulty breathing, jaundice, anaemia, fever, lack of appetite and lethargy. The report is from the Uni of Georgia.

The lone star tick which carries the parasite from bobcat to domestic cat which kills the domestic cat very quickly.
The lone star tick which carries the parasite from bobcat to domestic cat which kills the domestic cat very quickly. Image in public domain.

Death can occur in less than three days without prompt veterinary treatment. Prevention is the key. The five counties concerned are: Baldwin, Greene, Hancock, Jones and Putnam. They are considered to be ground zero for this disease at this time. It's essential for cat owners to be proactive and the primary way to do this is to keep cats safe by keeping them indoors and away from ticks. The experts strongly recommend that cats remain indoors under the circumstances.

Lone Star ticks pick up the disease by feeding on bobcats and then pass it on to domestic cats when they feed on them. The bobcats are unaffected. If it is impossible to keep a domestic cat indoors 24/7 cat owners can use "an effective acaricidal product" but it must be used according to the instructions. It is critical not to overdose because it can kill your cat. An alternative would be to think in the long term of building a cat enclosure or catio as a good compromise between safety and environmental stimulation.

LINK TO PAGES ON CAT PARASTIES

Humans and dogs are not susceptible to bobcat fever. A domestic cat contracting the disease can pass it on to other cats in a multi-cat household. If cats are allowed outside it's important that the cat owner carries out a daily tick check. You can do this by running your fingers through the cat's coat checking particularly carefully around the head and neck and at joints. You can click this link by looking at how to remove ticks. It is very important to not leave part of the tick inside the skin because it can cause irritation and as I recall an infection. Removed ticks should be refrigerated and dated for a month to allow them to be tested if the animal falls ill.

Cat owners should not underestimate the disease as it is described as "a nasty disease. Protection is necessary and early treatment is crucial"- Nancy Hinkle, UGA Extension veterinary entomologist.

Friday 23 May 2014

Horizontal Transmission of Feline Diseases

Horizontal transmission means that a disease is transferred from one individual cat to another or others as opposed to vertical transmission when the disease is transferred from a mother to her offspring.

Infection can be transmitted both when a cat is going through the acute phase of a disease and is ill or during the incubation period before the cat becomes ill.  In addition, recovered cats can be carriers.  They are healthy but spread infection.

Horizontal transmission can be by direct cat-to-cat contact or via an inanimate objects or through the air.

In direct contact a part of an animal makes contact with the part of another animal such as when one cat grooms another with his tongue.  Fighting is another example.  Disease can be transmitted through sexual intercourse in cats. This is not a "significant route of infection in the UK"1.
Contact via a cat fight. Photo by ilovebutter

In indirect contact two or more animals come into contact with the same intermediary object.  It might be bedding material or a feeding bowl.

While some infectious agents (pathogens) can remain viable in the environment from long-time, particularly in favourable conditions such as dark and damp conditions, they are frequently fragile organisms which are easily killed by disinfectants, drying out, heat and light.

Feline parvovirus can survive for very long periods in the environment.  In general, infectious agents that are transmitted indirectly are hardy and more difficult to kill using the usual methods.

We are all aware of the airborne method of spreading disease.  The infection is spread in droplets produced when the cat coughs or sneezes.  This method of transmission is particularly important with respect to respiratory diseases.

Finally, some infectious agents don't pass directly from one individual to another but they spend part of their life cycle on or in another host with a vector for transmission.  The example is the tapeworm affecting cats.  Small rodents are used as an intermediate host and fleas as the vector.  I have a page on that.

1. The Welfare of Cats K. Sturgess.

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