Category: infectious-diseases-cats

Cat scratch disease

Cat scratch disease is a disease of people carried by cats. Infected cats usually do not show any sign of illness but the disease can be passed to humans via a bite or scratch from the cat.

Cat scratch disease (CSD), also known as Bartonellosis, is caused by a bacteria carried in the blood of cats. CSD is a zoonotic disease, i.e. it is an infectious disease that can be transmitted from cats to other animals and to people.

The disease is well recognised in North America but is also seen in Europe and increasingly in the UK.

The disease is spread from cat to cat via the cat flea and then can be transmitted to humans via a bite or scratch. While fleas do not directly pass the infection to humans, controlling fleas in cats may decrease the risk of infection to humans; primarily as cats are less likely to become infected if fleas are not present.

Ticks are also a major transmitter of the disease. Ticks also carry other infectious diseases such as Lyme disease. People can be infected with both infections at the same time and, since symptoms of the two conditions may be similar, CSD may be missed when testing for Lyme disease.

Infected cats carry the bacteria in their blood. It appears that the disease can only be spread via infected blood but cat’s saliva can be contaminated with blood so that the disease can be transmitted by bites or licking. Cats may also contaminate their nails with infection whilst grooming and the infected blood may enter the human body through a cat scratch. Cats with fleas are more likely to scratch themselves than so in infected cats scratching increases the risk of the cat contaminating its nails with infected blood and passing the disease onto humans.

Kittens are more likely to carry the bacteria in their blood, and are therefore more likely to transmit the disease than are adult cats.

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Cat pox

If your cat is a keen hunter they may be at risk of catching cat pox from their prey. Cat pox is a viral infection that is also known as feline cow pox. Most cases recover without treatment but in a few cases the disease can be much more serious and veterinary advice should be sought. It can also infect humans which is important to be aware of.

Cat pox disease is also known as feline cow pox. It is caused by a virus present in the small rodent population such as voles and field mice. The virus is similar to the small pox virus and infection with this virus protects against small pox.

Despite its other name of cow pox, cats rarely catch cat pox from cattle. The virus is carried by rodents and cats are most commonly exposed during hunting so avid hunters are most at risk. The virus enters the cat through rodent bites or when a cat grooms an existing lesion after eating a rodent.

Most cases are seen in late summer when rodents are most numerous. Over the next week nodular skin sores that may become infected develop (often around the face and nose or limbs as this is where the cats are usually bitten by their vole prey). These crust and scab over and most cats remain well or have a runny nose or eye discharges. Around 10 days to several weeks after initial infection, numerous skin lesions that are ulcerated and crusted can develop over the body. These lesions are not usually itchy. Overall infection lasts six to eight weeks and most cats recover without and treatment.

However in a few cases, primarily cats that have a poor immune system, e.g. those with FIV or receiving steroids, the disease can spread to the lungs and cause pneumonia in which case fast, laboured and noisy breathing will be apparent as well as the cat being very unwell.

Your vet may be suspicious of a cat pox infection just by looking at the sores. However, these can be confused with other conditions like cat bites and ‘rodent’ (eosinophilic) ulcers. In most cases your vet will simply take a sample of the scabby tissue from the body for analysis. However tissue biopsies or blood samples can also be taken and sent to the laboratory. If your cat is unwell other tests will be required to identify any underlying cause of the immune system compromise. X-rays may be needed if there appears to be involvement of the lungs.

It is rare for people to become infected with cat pox (less than 100 cases have been diagnosed in people in the last 30 years) but it is possible, usually via cat scratches. However, as with all infectious diseases, good hygiene is important and if your cat is infected you should ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly after handing your cat.

People with compromised immune systems (e.g. the young and elderly, people on immunosuppressive treatments, pregnant women) and those with severe skin disease are probably most at risk and should avoid infected cats. If your cat is diagnosed with cat pox it should be handled with gloves and contact between infected material and any human skin wounds and eyes avoided.

If your cat is diagnosed with cat pox, it should be isolated from other cats. However cat to cat transmission only occurs rarely and usually is not associated with clinical signs.

There are no treatments that will control the virus. Happily most cats recover over about 6 weeks without any treatment. Antibiotics may be required if the skin lesions are open or infected. Some cats have to wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent them scratching at the sores. teroids must not be given as these can worsen the disease.

Cat ‘flu’

Cat flu is very common in unvaccinated cats and is very easily spread from cat to cat. It is rarely fatal, except in young kittens, but can be a real problem because the symptoms may be very difficult to clear up. Prevention is far better than cure – so to protect your cat make sure she is fully protected by regular vaccinations.

Cat flu is usually caused by infection with a combination of one or more viruses (feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus) and some bacteria. If one of the viruses gets hold then your cat’s immune system may be so busy fighting it that other bugs (particularly bacteria) will also join in the attack.

Rather like human flu, cat flu is spread by droplets of moisture containing the virus, passing from cat to cat – through sneezing, direct contact or shared food bowls. Infected cats spread virus in the saliva and nasal discharges (snot).

The incubation period (the time for which a cat is infected and carries the disease before the symptoms develop) is up to 3 weeks. This means that it is quite possible for your cat to pick up the disease from another cat which seems healthy. People can spread the virus from cat to cat when handling them.

The signs of cat flu are very obvious and unlikely to be mistaken for anything else. In fact cat flu is often very similar to human flu starting with a high fever which may make your cat feel miserable and off her food, followed by the sneezing, coughing and sore eyes. Signs usually start to get better after about 7 days and, in most cases, your cat should be back to her old self in about 2-3 weeks. In some cats the disease can cause ulcers in the mouth making eating difficult.

No – the viruses that cause cat flu are quite different from those causing flu in humans. Your cat cannot catch the disease from you and you are not at risk of catching it whilst nursing her.

There is no treatment for flu in cats. Your cat will have to fight off the infection by herself and fortunately most, otherwise healthy cats, will do this within a few weeks. But cats, just like people, feel pretty miserable when they have the flu and plenty of nursing care is needed to help her get over it. Make sure she has somewhere comfortable and warm to lay and be sure she gets plenty of water or milk to drink. Although your cat may not want to eat for the first few days, you should try to tempt her to eat by offering tasty warm food to keep her strength up.

You should always have your cat checked by your vet, and antibiotics may be prescribed to treat bacterial infections. If your cat is very congested try putting her in a warm steamy environment (like the bathroom with a hot shower running) to ease her breathing.

Always keep in close contact with your vet and let him know immediately if your cat appears to take a turn for the worse. If you have other cats living in your house take particular care to keep them away from the sick cat and always wash your hands after handling her. However, because she will have been infectious before the symptoms developed, it is likely that your other cats will already have been exposed to the disease and may develop symptoms.

Most fit young cats will recover from flu after a few weeks – although in some cats that do get over the initial illness the problem never really goes away. These animals may be left with persistent problems such as runny noses. Sometimes these cats are on almost permanent medication to control their symptoms. The disease can be much more serious in young kittens, older cats and cats with other diseases, e.g. FeLV or FIV – these patients may need to be admitted to hospital for special treatment but, even so, may not survive.

The sensible precaution is to have your cat vaccinated to stop her getting flu in the first place. The flu vaccine that is given routinely as part of the annual vaccination programme will protect your cat against the common agents that cause serious disease. Vaccination does not always prevent infection, but it usually stops severe disease developing.

Bordetella

Bordetella is not particularly common in the average pet cat but can be a significant problem where a number of cats live in close contact particularly in breeding establishments and catteries. It is very easily spread from cat to cat. It is rarely fatal, but can be a real problem because the symptoms may be very difficult to clear up. Prevention is far better than cure – if your cat needs protection make sure she is fully protected by regular vaccinations.

Bordetella bronchiseptica (Bb) is a bacterium closely related to Bordetella pertussis, the cause of whooping cough in humans. Bordetella is one of the bacteria involved in cat flu and kennel cough in the dog. It usually causes most problems when infection occurs at the same time as infection with one of the cat flu viruses (feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus). If one of the viruses gets hold then your cat’s immune system may be so busy fighting it that other bugs (particularly bacteria) will also join in the attack.

Although the respiratory viruses (herpesvirus, calicivirus) remain the most common cause of cat flu, research has recently shown that Bordetella bronchiseptica (Bb) can also cause flu in its own right.

Rather like human ‘flu’, cat flu is spread by droplets of moisture containing the virus passing from cat to cat, through sneezing, direct contact or sharing food bowls. Infected cats can spread the virus in saliva and nasal discharges (snot). The incubation period (the time for which a cat is infected and carries the disease before the symptoms develop) is up to 3 weeks.

Around 1 in 10 cats in the UK has Bordetella. This means that it is quite possible for your cat to pick up the disease from another cat that seems healthy. It is also possible for people to spread the disease from cat to cat when handling them.

The signs of cat flu are very obvious and unlikely to be mistaken for anything else. In fact cat flu is often very similar to human flu starting with a high fever which may make your cat feel miserable and off her food, followed by the sneezing, coughing and sore eyes. Signs usually start to get better after about 7 days and, in most cases, your cat should be back to her old self in about 2-3 weeks. Bordetella can cause pneumonia and if your cat is suffering from flu and you are not happy with her progress ask your vet to check her again. Young kittens with Bordetella may die before showing any particular signs.

There have been reports of dogs and cats in the same household suffering from infection with Bordetella at the same time. However, there is no evidence that the infection can spread from cats to humans.

There is no treatment for viral infections that are the primary cause of flu in cats. Your cat will have to fight off the infection by herself and fortunately most, otherwise healthy cats, will do this within a few weeks. But cats, just like people, feel pretty miserable when they have the flu and plenty of nursing care is needed to help her get over it. You should always have your cat checked by your vet, and they will prescribe antibiotics if they think bacterial infections, like Bordetella, are present.

Make sure your cat has somewhere comfortable and warm to lie and be sure she gets plenty of water or milk to drink. Although your cat may not want to eat for the first few days, you should try to tempt her to eat by offering tasty warm food to keep her strength up. If your cat is very congested try putting her in a warm steamy environment (like the bathroom with a hot shower running) to ease her breathing. Always keep in close contact with your vet and let him know immediately if your cat appears to take a turn for the worse.

If you have other cats living in your house take particular care to keep them away from the sick cat and always wash your hands after handling her. However, because she will have been infectious before the symptoms developed, it is likely that your other cats will already have been exposed to the disease and may develop symptoms.

Most fit young cats will recover from flu after a few weeks – although in a few cats that do get over the initial illness the problem never really goes away. These animals may be left with persistent problems such as runny noses. Sometimes these cats are on almost permanent medication to control their symptoms. The disease can be much more serious in young kittens, older cats and cats with other diseases, e.g. FeLV or FIV – these patients may need to be admitted to hospital for special treatment but, even so, may not survive.

Safeguarding against Bb should be considered with specific protection for those most at risk and few are more at risk than kittens in breeding colonies and rescue shelters.

A vaccine that protects against Bordetella is available. The vaccine is administered as drops into the nose and provides protection within 72 hours. This vaccine is not routinely given to pet cats and you would need to discuss with your vet whether your cat needed this additional protection. Many catteries require that cats are vaccinated against Bordetella before being boarded.

Bordetella can also cause kennel cough in dogs. If your dog has a cough keep your cat away from them.