Bobcat Fever Is Spread By Ticks
This Terrible Illness Fatal To Domestic Cats
Bobcat fever, also known as cytauxzoonosis, is a fatal disease that afflicts domestic cats. Most cat owners, and even many vets, are not familiar with this disease, but if you live in the southeastern or south central United States, you need to be aware of it.
What Is Bobcat Fever?
The name "bobcat fever" comes from the fact that the North American bobcat is the host for Cytauxzoon felis, the protozoa that causes it. Cytauxzoon felis usually stays dormant in bobcats, and doesn't cause any health problems for them. However, it's almost uniformly fatal for domestic cats unfortunate enough to be infected with it.
Cytauxzoonosis was first reported in Missouri and eastern Oklahoma about 1973. Since then, it has spread to Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, southern Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
How is Cytauxzoonosis Spread?
This disease is spread by ticks, specifically the American dog tick. A tick bites a bobcat and becomes infected with the cytauxzoonosis protozoa. This tick then goes on to lay eggs, and its offspring are also infected with the protozoa. Once they hatch out, they crawl up on grass or bushes and wait for a warm-blooded animal like a dog, a deer, a cat, or even a person to walk past. If it bites a cat, it injects the protozoa into the cat's system, which causes the disease.
Fortunately for humans, bobcat fever doesn't affect people, or dogs or birds or other animals. It only affects cats.
What Are The Symptoms Of Bobcat Fever?
At first your cat will become depressed and withdrawn. She won't eat or move around much. Your cat will run a high fever, up to 108 degrees farenheit, and may even radiate heat when you touch her. She'll be in extreme pain and will cry loudly.
Cytauxzoonosis has two phases, the tissue phase, and the terminal phase. In the tissue phase, the protozoa reproduces inside the cat's blood vessels, which blocks blood flow to organs in the body. The organs shut down, and the cat dies. In the terminal phase, the cat's red blood cells rupture, which release the protozoa throughout her bloodstream. A blood-smear sample shows the parasites on the blood cells, which is how this disease is diagnosed.
Is There Any Treatment For Bobcat Fever?
Veterinary science doesn't have a treatment for bobcat fever right now. This is an agonizing disease, and most cats with it are euthanized to spare them a terrible death.
Right now the best treatment is prevention. It's imperative to keep ticks off your cat. The best way to do this is to keep your cat indoors, if possible. However, there have been reports of indoor cats developing this disease. Apparently ticks come into the house on people or their clothing, or on dogs. Be sure to check yourself and your dog very carefully for ticks if you've been outside, before you come inside.
Be aware that tick preventatives and treatments for cats don't prevent all tick bites. Products that contain fipronil are most effective, but you still must check your cat carefully. Ticks like to attach themselves in between your cat's toes, on her gums, on her ears, and around her anal area, so keep an eye on these problem spots.
Protect Your Cat From Cytauxzoonosis
Many cat owners don't know anything about bobcat fever until their cat dies from it. Be informed, and take steps to protect your feline friend now.
Check these resources to learn more about bobcat fever:
Potential Cat Disease Increases Tick Concerns
Project Helios -- Cytozoonosis Resource
