Veterinarians at the University of Minnesota have treated eight suspected or confirmed cases of a cat and dog disease called tularemia. Of the eight cats, five died and three lived. This is a spike in a rare disease in Minnesota. What is tularemia?
It is caused by a bacterial infection. The bacteria is Francisella tularensis.
It occurs in wild animals such as rabbit and rodents.
Cats and dogs acquire the disease from a bite from a blood-sucking tick or flea which has feed on an infected host.
Another way for a cat to become infected is by direct contact with an infected wild animal or the carcass of a wild animal. Clearly outdoor cats who hunt are at risk.
The symptoms are:
- weight loss
- lymph node enlargement
- signs of pneumonia
- oral ulcers
- ulcerated skin sore at the site of insect bite
- possible discharge from eyes and nose
- possible rash on skin
The treatment is antibiotics, as expected, to kill the bacteria. Your vet will prescribe. The course may be long.
Prevention is doing one’s best to eliminate fleas and other insect parasites. Also stopping your cat from roaming and hunting – indoor cat or an enclosure.
The disease can be transmitted from cat to person via bites and scratches (zoonotic disease). Alternatively, contact with a draining skin ulcer can transmit the infection. Wearing rubber gloves when handling cats with draining wounds and employing good hygiene standards is important.
For people handling rabbit meat and pelts the disease is an occupational hazard. The bacteria can survive in frozen rabbit meat.
Care is required when feeding a cat rabbit mean especially from wild rabbits.