Presence of cachavirus in Chinese pet cats

A study (lead scientist: Jun Ji) detected the presence of cachavirus in Chinese pet cats, with a low infection rate of approximately 1.17% in diarrheic cats (cats with diarrhea). The virus was found to co-infect with FPV (Feline parvovirus) in one sample, and there was no statistically significant association between the presence of the virus and diarrheic signs.

Tabby and white street cat in China. Image in public domain.

The study suggests that larger investigations and animal inoculation experiments are needed to determine whether cachavirus may be pathogenic (a pathogen such as a bacterium or a virus causing disease). The phylogenetic trees based on NS1 and VP1 indicate that the cachaviruses from dogs and cats belong to the same branch, suggesting a recent common origin. However, the cachavirus strains detected in Chinese cats were quite different from the fechavirus and more closely related to the virus previously found in dogs in the United States. 

The study only obtained a partial genome sequence, and further studies are required to obtain the complete sequence and confirm the difference. Compared with Cachavirus-1A and Cachavirus-1B, the cachavirus from cats demonstrated changes in amino acid sites, and some mutations changed the tertiary structure modeling of the two major viral proteins as predicted. 

Further studies are needed to investigate whether these changes lead to changes in the virus's function and pathogenesis. In conclusion, the study identified a novel parvovirus, cachavirus, in Chinese pet cats, which now appears to infect both dogs and cats. The findings of this study enhance our understanding of the tropism of different members of the Carnivore Chaphamaparvovirus 1 species.

Canine Cachavirus was novel parvovirus species has been firstly identified in dogs in USA.

The study referred to: Genetic Analysis of Cachavirus-Related Parvoviruses Detected in Pet Cats: The First Report From China. Link: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.580836

Dogs

A similar study concerning the same virus in dogs was published 3 days before this one. It is called: Molecular characterization of Cachavirus firstly detected in dogs in China. 

The highlights are:

• This study firstly reported the presence of Cachavirus in pet dogs in China.
• A low rate of Cachavirus positivity (1.23%) was found only in dogs with diarrhea symptoms.
• Most mutations were found in NS1 of Chinese Cachavirus strains compared with the two strains from the United States.

Note: Google does not help me in providing details of this virus. Nonetheless I feel that the study is useful.

Why do cats get feline leukemia FeLV?

Feline leukemia (FeLV) is a viral infection that affects cats. The virus responsible for FeLV is called the feline leukemia virus. Cats can become infected with FeLV through close contact with an infected cat, such as grooming, sharing food or water dishes, or through bite wounds.

FeLV cat. Image in public domain.

FeLV attacks the cat's immune system and can lead to various health problems, including anemia, cancers, and other infections. FeLV is most commonly found in cats that spend time outdoors, cats that live in multi-cat households, and kittens born to infected mothers.

Chart by MikeB.

Not all cats that come into contact with FeLV will become infected. The virus is relatively fragile and can be easily destroyed by most household disinfectants. It is important to vaccinate cats against FeLV and to test cats for the virus before introducing them to a household with other cats. Additionally, keeping cats indoors and limiting their exposure to potentially infected cats can reduce the risk of infection.

Mouthwash can kill Covid virus which is mutating and bouncing back

The news at the moment is that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is mutating and in a substantial percentage of cases is defeating the modern vaccines. There is a current "hybrid vaccine", one of which is manufactured by Moderna and another by Pfizer, which is meant to be effective against the Omicron variant.

Mouthwash can kill Covid virus, and this virus is mutating and bouncing back. This product contains cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) which as study has found kills the Covid virus. Image: MikeB

However, my reading of the situation is that there is a current surge in Omicron infections in the UK and I suspect that this is playing out in a similar way in other countries. Plus the original COvid-19 is hanging around and still infecting people.

People, therefore, need to do all they can to prevent an infection because they are now somewhat exposed. And I also learned that if you have had the Omicron variant and therefore have developed antibodies against it, you can still be reinfected even if you have had the vaccine as well.

And in a rather timely way, a recent study which has yet to be peer-reviewed states that certain mouthwashes can kill the Covid-19 virus in the mouth.

One of these contains the ingredient cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC). There are several mouthwashes with this ingredient. I have bought Dentyl because I happen to believe that this study is probably solid and worth following and therefore, we should do all we can to prevent a covered infection.

This might not be the only ingredient which is effective against Covid. In another article that I recently read, it states that certain other mouthwashes can be effective. The study is described as experimental. The author is Dr. Craig Myers who is described as a distinguished Prof of microbiology, immunology, obstetrics and gynaecology at Penn State College of Medicine.

He reports that the following products are effective in killing the Covid virus as I understand it.

• Johnson & Johnson’s 1% (Johnson & Johnson Consumer) baby shampoo which was used as a sinus rinse for this study;
• Crest Pro‐Health (Proctor & Gamble) mouthwash;
• Peroxide Sore Mouth (CVS), Orajel Antiseptic Rinse (Church & Dwight Co.) and 1.5% H2O2 (Cumberland-Swan);
• Listerine Ultra (Johnson & Johnson Consumer), Equate (Wal-Mart Co.) and Antiseptic Mouthwash (CVS);
• Listerine Antiseptic (Johnson & Johnson Consumer) mouthwash.

I'm just throwing this information out there is it might stick somewhere. Please do your own research. Don't rely on me 😎😉. I think that it is worth knowing about these things because, as mentioned, we need to do all we can to protect ourselves from this nasty virus.

The Omicron virus is milder than the original Covid-19 which killed people, but it is still a nasty illness depending upon your immune system and how each individual reacts to it.

These products can be bought over the counter and therefore it is very easy to take these protective steps.

The recommendation with Dentyl is to rinse your mouth for 30 seconds with the product and then gargle with it which kills the virus in your throat.

Sources: Sky News and Healio Primary Care.

'Staggering' disease in cats - cause

In Europe there has been a mysterious staggering disease killing cats. The news has kept a rather low profile so you might not have heard of it. Apparently, it's been known to science for around 50 years but it became a concern in 2020 when it killed a tree kangaroo, donkey and a capybara in Germany. It is linked to encephalitis in a wide range of animals.

Recently the disease has been contracted by domestic cats. The symptoms include loss of ability to retract their claws seizures, loss of control of limbs and tremors. The cats stagger as if they are drunk hence the name of the disease. The disease progresses over about two weeks and there is no cure. Sadly, there is also very little in the way of treatment. The experts aren't sure how long it takes to kill domestic cats because not all of those who get the disease are euthanised.

Very recently, the scientists have discovered what they believe is the cause. They collected the brains of 29 euthanised cats from different places in Germany, Sweden and Austria. The brains were scanned for evidence of Borna virus DNA but none were found. However, they found the rustrela virus in 28 of the brains. This is a relative of the rubella virus which infects humans.

In humans, the virus is highly contagious and can be spread from pregnant women to their unborn babies. Pregnant women who contract the disease can give birth to infants with congenital rubella syndrome suffering from growth retardation, deafness, congenital defects and mental retardation.

The scientists have also suggested that this staggering disease virus may infect humans and an unknown number of other mammals.

I don't know if there are any infected cats in the USA or other areas. My research did not reveal information on that.

Polio is back in the UK but it cannot be transmitted to animals

Polio is not zoonotic meaning that it cannot be transmitted from person to animal and vice versa. However, that a report today in the online news media saying that polio is back in the UK and it has been declared a national incident because it is the first time it has been found to exist in the UK for nearly 40 years. 

Girl has polio. Photo: Courtesy of the Boston Children's Hospital

They believe that the poliovirus came from a live vaccine given to a person living abroad. They came to this country and the poliovirus was in their faeces. This latest virus apparently has mutated over time and is now classified as a "vaccine-derived" poliovirus type II which behaves more like a wild polio. 

They picked up the virus in sewage I understand. Most people in the UK are vaccinated against polio as I understand it. I certainly am out but I am 73 years old.

On the rare occasions that it can infect the spinal cord and the base of the brain it causes paralysis, normally in the legs, which develops over hours or days. Sometimes the breathing muscles are affected which can make it life-threatening.

To someone like me, polio is something which we never consider at all. The UK was proclaimed to be polio-free in 2003 and the last wild case was detected in 1986. Let's just say that it has not been around in the UK for a very long time which is why people forget about it. In turn, that is why this information is a little bit surprising or even shocking to some people.

But the reason why I am posting it on this website is because people who have domestic cats need to be reassured that it is not transmittable to cats and vice versa.

Preventing cat diseases through inoculations harnesses the body's natural ability to fight infection

Infectious agents are viruses or bacteria normally. In vaccines, the infectious agent is modified. It is no longer infectious. This is achieved by killing it or modifying it so that it is alive but no longer infectious. Or in the creation of a vaccine, the scientists take vital components of the infectious agent or enslave bacteria through genetic engineering to produce replicas of those parts in the words of Dr. Bruce Fogle (Complete Cat Care). 

URI in a cat. Typically caused by the herpes virus. Photo: urbananimalveterinary.com.

The resulting vaccine is similar to the unmodified form of the infectious agent. This provokes the cat's immune system to create antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that attach to and help destroy the specific infectious agent against which the vaccine works.

Kittens acquire their mother's antibodies in her milk and therefore take some protection from their mother when they suckle from after birth. These are temporary antibodies which last around 6 to 10 weeks.

There are a variety of vaccines available for cats.

Feline infectious enteritis

There is a vaccine against feline infectious enteritis. This is also known as feline panleukopenia or feline parvovirus. This is a virus that can survive for a long time in the environment. The symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting and sometimes death. It is especially dangerous to kittens. The vaccine against this disease is very effective and it provides protection for a long time.

RELATED: Feline Distemper Symptom

Cat flu

Cat flu is usually caused feline herpesvirus or feline calicivirus. The disease is spread by close contact with cats that carry the disease. Most upper respiratory infections (URIs) in domestic cats are caused by these cat flu viruses.

The symptoms are mild to severe including pharyngitis (a sore throat) eye inflammation and discharge, nasal discharge, sneezing, coughing, and mouth ulcers. A complication is pneumonia which can be life-threatening. 

RELATED: Feline Herpes Virus

Some cats may suffer permanent damage to the nose or eyes. There might be a secondary bacterial infection. This can destroy eyes. You will see many blind, ex-feral cats whose eyes had been destroyed by bacterial infections.

RELATED: Is L-lysine good for herpes virus in cats?

Some cats recover quite quickly in a few days while others might take weeks. The vaccination against these viruses protects the cat from serious illness. It does not protect against infection. Cats that are vaccinated can carry the disease and pass it on to others. These carriers are asymptomatic.

Feline leukaemia virus

Feline leukaemia virus is described as 'fragile' and it is transmitted through saliva during prolonged close contact between cats. When a cat becomes infected it lasts for their lifetime and most cats die within three years of being diagnosed. This is usually because of related illnesses such as lymphoma or anaemia.

RELATED: RetroMAD1: Possible new drug for fighting Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukaemia

Around 1% of all healthy cats test positive. Up to 18% of all ill cats seen by veterinarians have this disease. In the selective breeding of purebred cats, blood testing has been effective in reducing the incidence of this disease. The vaccine against it provides protection to at-risk cats but not necessarily all cats.

Rabies

Rabies is well known. It's a virus which attacks the central nervous system. It is fatal. It can infect almost all warm-blooded animals. It is most common in members of the canine family, monkeys, bats and cats. The virus is excreted into the saliva of the animal and it can be transmitted to people normally through bites. The disease is zoonotic.

RELATED: How often do cats transmit rabies to people in the USA?

In some places vaccination against this disease is mandated and for travelling cats. The vaccine provides effective and efficient protection which lasts for three or more years.

P.S. The principles of vaccination is better known to all of us because of Covid. It is shocking however that there are still millions of people who fear the Covid vaccines despite worldwide approval and the biggest testing program ever.

Female lion in Indian zoo the first cat to die of Covid-19?

A lioness who was asymptomatic of Covid-19 at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, near the city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, has reportedly died of the disease and eight other big cats in the zoo had tested positive for the virus. I have been following the Covid-19 pandemic in relation to cats quite closely and I have not read a report until today of a cat dying of the virus. 

 Female lion in Indian zoo the first cat to die of Covid-19?

In fact, the reporting is that domestic and wild cats who contract the disease have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic and they resolve the matter quite quickly. So, this is an unusual story. Of course, India is having a disastrous time of trying to control the virus for various reasons including bad management, a slow rollout of vaccinations and what appears to be an ill-disciplined approach by citizens with respect to social distancing and lockdowns which are understandably difficult to do because it results in job losses in huge numbers.

The lioness concerned was named Neela. She died on June 3 while samples taken from her to test for Covid 19 were being processed.

It is also reported in The Sun newspaper that two white tiger cubs died of Covid-19 in a Pakistan zoo in the early part of 2021 after an outbreak. They were 11-week-old cubs at the Lahore Zoo. They were being treated at the zoo but sadly died. Veterinary staff believed that there were suffering from feline panleukopenia.

The lions at the Indian zoo are being treated in house by their veterinary team together with experts of the Tamil Naidu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University.