Feline Panleukopenia or Feline Distemper is a serious disease that
occur in cats. It is also known as Feline Distemper. The illness is
caused by a Parvovirus that is present everywhere in the environment
and has been recorded in many countries. As such most cats are exposed
to the pathogen to varying degrees. However, the disease only takes
hold in cats with weakened immunity.
Most cat owners are unaware
of Feline Panleukopenia since kittens are routinely immunized against
it as part of the standard vaccination regimen. The disease thus
appears in feral, abandoned and other stray felines that have not
received adequate protection. Once the illness takes hold, it is deadly
- killing up to nine out of every ten individuals. No cure exists apart
from dietary support and loving care. If the cat is able to pull
through the acute phase lasting the first week, it is likely to survive
and develop complete future immunity against the illness.
Feline
Panleukopenia is quite a contagious disease and spreads readily through
bodily secretions and fecal route. Often numerous cats in shelters and
other crowded settings catch the infection. The virus spreads through
the body's lymphatic system upon entry and rapidly enters the bone
marrow where it shuts down production of body's protective white blood
cells (panleukopenia). The result is a catastrophic decline in body's
defensive abilities that often leads to mortality through secondary
bacterial infection.
Next the virus moves to the intestines where
it destroys the protective gut lining, again exposing the cat to
infection as well as causing life threatening diarrhea. Since there is
no medicinal cure, the virus completes its natural cycle of progression
until either the victim succumbs or recovers enough to combat it. The
virus, however, stays in the animal for several weeks and is capable of
spreading to other felines even after there are no residual signs of
illness in the originally infected cat.
Examination of infected
cats reveals high fever, dehydration and lymphadenopathy. Blood picture
reveals a universal reduction in leukocyte (white blood cell) count.
Therapeutic options are mainly limited and supportive, comprising
mainly of fluid infusion and antibiotic prophylaxis to protect against
opportunistic infections. In pregnant cats even a mild infection may
lead to abortion or cerebellar hypoplasia in kittens.
The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on Jaguar facts. |
