Bobcat Disease (Cytauxzoonosis) Affecting Cats
Bobcat fever, also known as cytauxzoonosis, is an emerging tick-transmitted disease in the United States, primarily caused by the protozoan Cytauxzoon felis. Historically most common in the southeastern U.S., the disease is now expanding northward, following the distribution of the vector tick, Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick).
The disease remains most common in the southeastern states but is increasingly reported in new areas as the lone star tick spreads. Precise prevalence rates by state are not detailed, but the rise in tick distribution suggests greater risk beyond traditional endemic zones.
Cats who roam outdoors in areas where reservoir hosts live or have contact with an infected cat are at increased risk for contracting bobcat fever. The disease is fatal in many domestic cats, with mortality rates ranging from 40% to 90% even with treatment. However, cats who survive the infection have a good prognosis, returning to normal activity within two to four weeks and often gaining immunity to re-infection.
Diagnosis of bobcat fever in cats can be made through blood tests, examination of tissues, and identification of the parasite in the bloodstream. Symptoms are severe and include fever, pale or white gums, difficulty breathing, jaundice, low energy, poor appetite, dehydration, enlarged spleen and/or liver, and rapid progression to hypothermia, collapse, coma, and death.
Treatment requires several days of hospitalization and aggressive supportive care, including fluid therapy, blood transfusions, chest tubes, and feeding tubes in severe cases. Antibiotics (atovaquone, azithromycin, enrofloxacin), Imidocarb dipropionate, Atropine, and Heparin may be prescribed. Without treatment, most infected cats die within five days of diagnosis, but with aggressive supportive care and hospitalization, many cats with severe symptoms can recover.
To prevent bobcat fever, keep cats indoors to avoid tick exposure, use effective, fast-kill flea and tick control products year-round, check cats daily for ticks, remove them promptly, and reduce ticks in the cat's outdoor environment by removing debris, keeping shrubs and grass short, and using wildlife deterrents.
It's important to note that bobcat fever does not pose an infectious risk to humans or dogs. The disease is spread to cats by the bite of an infected tick, such as the lone star tick or the American dog tick. It can also be spread by bite wounds from an infected cat, blood transfusion from an infected cat, or accidental inoculation by contaminated needles or surgical instruments, but this is rare.
The cost to treat bobcat fever is high, usually costing several thousand dollars. Diagnosis is definitively made by seeing the blood parasite under a microscope on a fresh blood smear, or by using a PCR blood test.
In conclusion, as the geographic range of bobcat fever continues to expand, it's crucial for cat owners to be aware of the disease and take preventative measures to protect their pets. Regular veterinary check-ups, prompt tick removal, and the use of preventative treatments can help keep cats safe from this potentially fatal disease.
Science suggests that bobcat fever, a tick-borne disease, is expanding its distribution due to the spread of the vector tick, Amblyomma americanum (the lone star tick). In the realm of health-and-wellness, this disease poses a severe threat to domestic cats, with mental-health implications for pet owners, given the potential for high financial burdens associated with treatment and the possibility of cat mortality rates, which can range from 40% to 90%.
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