VETERINARY MEDICINE - CARNIVORA

• Fissipedia
• Viverridae
• Hemigalinae
• Chrotogale
• Chrotogale owstoni (Owston's palm civet) are globally threatened and found in southern China, Viet Nam and Laos : influenzavirus A(H₅N₁)
• Paradoxurinae
• Paguma
• Paguma larvata (masked palm civet, hakubi, civet cat) : SARS coronavirus. Civets, a fruit-eating relative of mongooses, have a strong taste and are a seasonal delicacy in Guangdong, where their consumption in November and December is widely believed to help people keep warm throughout the winter.



• Procyonidae
• Procyon
• Procyon lotor (raccoon) : Baylisascaris procionis,
• scratch, bite or saliva : rabies virus

• Canidae
• Canis
• Canis familiaris (dog) :
• military working dogs (MWDs)
Dipylidium caninum (19.4%), Taenia hydatigena (7.4%), Taenia solium, Taenia serialis, Taenia pisiformis (11.8%), Taenia multiceps, Taenia taeniaeformis, Toxocara canis (1.2%), Ancylostoma braziliense, Ancylostoma caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala, Trichuris vulpis, Strongyloides stercoralis, Babesia microti, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis (canine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (CGE)), Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Dirofilaria immitis (250 000 dogs every year in USA; moxidectin (ProHeart 6, manufactured by Fort Dodge Animal Health, based in Overland Park, Kansas, a subsidiary of the pharmaceutical company Wyeth : 18 million doses sold to veterinarians since FDA approval in June 2001), a twice-a-year time-released heartworm medication was recalled on Sep 2004 by FDA after > 5,000 of dogs of all sizes and ages suffered adverse reactions (sudden lethargy, uncontrolled bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea, heart and liver problems and such nervous system abnormalities as seizures) and 500 died, despite it has been administered without problem to horses and cattle), Dirofilaria repens, Trypanosoma rangeli, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania donovani chagasi, Leishmania infantum, Leishmania braziliensis, Leishmania peruviana [since leishmaniasis is an obligatory intracellular parasite, host defenses are dependent on T-lymphocyte activity. T-lymphocyte regions, in the lymphoid organs, become depleted, and B-cells proliferate in response to infection. Without T-cell support, macrophages cannot kill the amastigotes, and the parasite proliferates. Proliferation of B-lymphocytes, histocytes, and macrophages results in lymphadoneopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. Exuberant B-lymphocytes generate a large number of circulating immune complexes (CIC), which deposit on the walls of blood vessels causing vasculitis, polyarthritis and glomerulonephritis. In canines, CIC deposition in the kidneys results in renal failure, which is the main cause of death in leishmania-infected dogs. Cats are rarely clinically affected. The primary clinical findings are cutaneous involvement, although dermatologic abnormalities, in the absence of other signs of disease, are rare. Weight loss, and muscle atrophy, are the most common signs of visceral involvement. Diagnosis is based on finding amastigotes free, or in macrophages, in giemsa-stained smears from lymph nodes or bone marrow. Biopsy material from liver or skin is also useful, as is serologic testing (IFA, CF, ELISA). Serology is often used to verify the presence of antibodies but does not prove, or disprove, active disease. Since dogs rarely spontaneously eliminate the parasite, a positive titer should indicate current infection. Canine leishmaniasis is resistant to therapy. Most clinicians feel that the dog never will eliminate the infection, and that re-treatment will be necessary. The drugs of choice are pentavalent antimonials. It should be remembered that leishmaniasis is zoonotic and a public health concern, and care should be taken in both handling and treating canine cases. All in all, treatment is generally not recommended, usually unrewarding, and can take a toll on the animal]
influenzavirus A (H₃N₈) closely related to an equine flu strain is spreading in kennels and at dog tracks around USA. The virus has killed racing greyhounds in 7 states (Florida, Massachusetts, Arizona, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Texas, and Iowa) and has been found in shelters and pet shops in many places, including the New York suburbs, though the extent of its spread is unknown. The virus spread most easily where dogs were housed together but that it could also be passed on the street, in dog runs, or even by a human transferring it from one dog to another. Kennel workers have carried the virus home with them. In January 2004 at a racetrack in Jacksonville, Fla., 8 of the 24 greyhounds who contracted the virus died. Because dogs had no natural immunity to the virus, virtually every animal exposed would be infected. Only approximately 10% of dogs are affected, and those are primarily greyhounds. About 80% of dogs that are infected with the virus will develop symptoms. The symptoms were often mistaken for those of kennel cough : both diseases can cause coughing and gagging for up to 3 weeks, but dogs with canine flu may spike fevers as high as 106°F and have runny noses. A few will develop pneumonia, and some of those cases will be fatal. Antibiotics and fluid cut the pneumonia fatality rate. There were no known cases of the canine flu infecting humans. There is currently no vaccine for the canine flu. But one would be relatively easy to develop. The canine flu is less lethal than parvovirus, which typically kills puppies but can be prevented by routine vaccination. Laboratory tests have shown that the new flu is susceptible to amantadine and oseltamivir, but those drugs are not licensed for use in dogs. Tracks and kennels have been forced to shut down for weeks for disinfection. In Chestnut Ridge, north of New York City, about 88 dogs became sick by early September 2005, and 15% of those required hospitalization. The kennel was vacated for decontamination by 17 Sep. About 17 of the infected dogs were treated at the Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus NJ, where one died and 2 more were still hospitalized. The Best Friends chain owns 41 other kennels in 18 states, and no others have had an outbreak. In late July 2005, at Gracelane Kennels in Ossining NY, about 35 dogs showed symptoms^{ref1, ref2}. Since the dog flu virus is just emerging, dogs have no natural immunity to it : all dogs exposed will become infected, and roughly 80% of infected dogs will develop symptoms of the illness. About 5-8% of all infected dogs will die^ref. To date, antibodies to canine influenza virus have been detected in dogs in animal shelters, adoption groups, pet stores, boarding kennels and veterinary clinics in 19 states. Since November 2005, scientists have tested > 100 samples from dogs suspected of having canine influenza. All of the samples turned out to be negative until 23 Feb 2006, when the first of the 3 positive samples was diagnosed. That first case involved a fatal outbreak of disease in a Colorado animal shelter. It was followed by a case in San Francisco, in which an imported puppy became ill but recovered, as did its household-mates. The 3rd case involved a fatal outbreak in a Florida animal shelter^ref.
Giardia intestinalis (2.4-7.3%; prevalence in North America is 8-50%, especially in puppies in shelters, kennels and pet stores. Most infections are subclinical or show only transient softening of the stool early in the infection, although diarrhea may be acute and short-lived, chronic, or intermittent in dogs and cats. Treatment for Giardia includes bathing the infected animal and decontamination of the animal¹s environment with a quarternary ammonium-based disinfectant. Drugs that may be used include metronidazole, albendazole, fenbendazole, and quanacrine. GiardiaVax is a commercial Giardia vaccine for use in dogs that may help prevent infection and reduce the duration of carriage), Isospora belli, Cystoisospora burrowsi, Cystoisospora canis, Cystoisospora neorivolta, and Cystoisospora ohioensis (infections may be subclinical or may lead to mild coccidiosis), Brucella melitensis biovar Canis, Rickettsia conorii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Yersinia pestis (less susceptible than cats), Leptospira interrogans serovar canicola (Stuttgart disease / canicola fever / canine typhus : a type of canine leptospirosis without jaundice), pseudorabies virus (PrV) / Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) / suid herpesvirus 1, cowpox virus, canine distemper virus (CDV), Nipah virus, SARS coronavirus
• bites : Capnocytophaga canimorsus, Capnocytophaga cynodegmi, Pasteurella dagmatis, Pasteurella multocida, rabies virus (since 2002 to August 2003 there have been 6 cases of rabies recorded in domestic dogs in Western Europe (France and Switzerland). 5 of the cases, including the current one, involved unvaccinated puppies (the ages were: a few weeks; 2.5 months; 3 months; 4 months; and 6 months), all illegally imported from North Africa. One case involved a ot-properly-vaccinated 4-year-old dog returning from North Africa to France. Rabies in puppies is particularly risky, since the clinical signs might be less prominent/typical, and, because of the higher risk of incidental human exposure, particularly of children. The last case of classical rabies acquired in UK happened in 1902. Very occasionally, cases occurring since then have all been acquired abroad, usually through dog bites. Transmission is usually through saliva via the bite of an infected animal. There are no documented cases of human-to-human transmission. Since 1946, there have been 22 deaths in the UK from rabies acquired abroad)
• exposed vaccinated animals should be booster-vaccinated within 5 days of exposure. A 10-day quarantine would apply to an animal that is vaccinated that bites a person or unvaccinated animal; if signs develop, it should be destroyed and tested for rabies
• unvaccinated exposed animals may be immediately vaccinated and should be quarantined 6 months and destroyed if they develop signs or vaccinated before release
In either case, should the animal show signs consistent with rabies, euthanasia is in order. Most cases in dogs develop within 21-80 days after exposure, but the incubation period may be shorter or considerably longer.
• stools : Echinococcus granulosus (9.4%), Enterocytozoon bienuesi
Other nontransmissible diseases :
• Joyeuxiella (3.2%)
• Taenia ovis (4.4%)
• Diplopylidium (2.4%)
• Mesocestoides (0.9%)
• Toxascaris (2.6%)
• Protospirura (0.6%) nematodes
• gigantorhynchiid acanthocephalans (2.9%)
• canine babesiosis (Babesia canis canis, Babesia canis vogeli, Babesia canis rossi, Babesia gibsoni)
• Neorickettsia risticii
• Neospora caninum
• wobbler syndrome / wobbles : in large to giant dogs, malformation of the lower cervical vertebrae with compression of the spinal cord so that the animal has ataxia of the hind limbs and a swaying gait; it may progress to paralysis
• canine parvovirus disease : an acute, often fatal gastroenteritis of dogs caused by a parvovirus related to the virus of feline panleukopenia or of mink enteritis. Parvovirus can be difficult and unrewarding to treat. It is very hard on the animal. The lining of the gastrointestinal tract is denuded and absorption of nutrients is impossible. Consequently the dogs must be nutritionally supported as well as receiving copious intravenous fluids to keep them hydrated. Antibiotics are often used to keep down secondary bacterial invaders, although they do not affect the virus. The virus is very hardy and can be easily transmitted. Virkon-S does kill the virus in kennels and on solid objects. Maternal antibody to parvovirus from vaccinated mothers persists up to 16 weeks. Our vaccination regimen recommendation in practice is based on a minimum of triple antigen (C3 or DHP -- depending upon your terminology). On the basis of the range of colostral protection from bitches of variable vaccination status, vaccine manufacturers arrived at the commercial rationale of vaccination at 6-8, 12-14, and 16-18 weeks for primary cover. Failure to advise owners about the 3rd primary booster here is considered negligent (as pups from recently vaccinated bitches would be more likely to be completely susceptible to parvovirus).
• Schiff-Sherrington syndrome : paraplegia in dogs with rigid extension of the hind limbs, usually associated with acute severe compression of the thoracolumbar spinal cord.
• hypertrophic osteopathy / acropachia : a condition in dogs similar to the hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy of humans; characteristics include hyperostosis of the limbs and later other skeletal regions, sometimes associated with tumors, tuberculosis, or other pulmonary conditions
• canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) / Sticker's sarcoma is primarily a tumor of adult dogs that is transmitted by sex and has a high incidence of spontaneous regression. It has been traced back to its probable origins: a single wolf or dog that lived in Asia > 200 years ago. The disease seems to have been more aggressive in its past. This is unusual — most cancers become worse over time. If we could work out how and why the disease became less deadly, it may help in finding cancer treatments.  Most cancers are formed when an organism's own cells grow out of control. But canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is spread by tumor cells that move from dog to dog during sex. The disease attacks the face and genitals, but usually clears up within months. Researchers have suspected that the diseased cells originated in a single animal. The cancer now affects dogs in Japan, the USA, Europe, China, the Far East, the Middle East and parts of Africa. The DNA of tumor cells from 16 unrelated dogs being treated for CTVT in Italy, India and Kenya. The tumor didn't belong to the dog because it's genetically different from its host. To find out where the tumours came from, the team analysed more than 400 dogs from 85 different breeds. The cancer's DNA was most similar to modern wolves. There was also a link to Asian dogs such as shitzus. To calculate when the tumour parted ways from its original host, the researchers counted the genetic differences between wolf and cancer. The tumour turns out to be at least 200 years old. If it is any older than 250 years than it's the oldest cancer known to mankind. Examination of dog cancers from the past 30 years, which were frozen and collected from 7 different countries, showed that the tumour was once much more aggressive. If we can work out how this happened, we might be able to cause the same transformation in human tumours. When the current version of CTVT infects a new dog, it secretes a chemical that inhibits the immune system, so that the host cannot fight it off. But after a few months, the dog's immune system can usually oust the intruder^ref
• kennel cough is caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica
• gastric dilatation-volvulus : excessive dilatation of the stomach of a dog, usually seen in large deep-chested breeds and often resulting from swallowed air; if untreated, the dilatation often progresses to fatal volvulus
• hepatozoonosis : an infectious, sometimes fatal disease of dogs caused by Hepatozoon canis, and characterized by intermittent fever, emaciation, mild anemia, muscular hyperesthesia, especially affecting the back, purulent ocular and nasal discharge, and sometimes diarrhea)
• persistent pupillary membrane : a congenital defect in dogs in which remnants of the tunica vasculosa lentis are found on the surface of the iris or cornea, sometimes with a corneal opacity
• Haemobartonella perniciosum, found in dogs, transmitted by the mite Echinolaelaps echidninus.
• nasal acariasis : infestation of the nasal cavity or sinuses of a dog by the nasal mite Pneumonyssus caninum, which causes mild rhinitis.
• collie nose / nasal solar dermatitis / nasal eczema : actinic dermatitis of the nonpigmented parts of the nose of a dog, especially the bridge or the nasal plane; it is worse in the summer and may become inflamed or ulcerated. A similar but not identical condition occurs as part of some types of lupus
• Mycoplasma haemocanis (a.k.a. Haemobartonella canis) : a nonpathogenic species found in dogs transmitted to canines by the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus.
• Taenia cervi : a species from dogs in Denmark.
• Taenia antarctica : a species from dogs in Antarctic regions.
• Taenia balaniceps : a species from dogs and bobcats in Nevada and New Mexico.
• Taenia brachysoma : a species that infects dogs in Italy.
• canine babesiosis / biliary fever or malignant jaundice of dogs : infection of dogs or other canines transmitted by various ticks, the most common being Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The acute phase, which may be fatal, is characterized by depression, weakness, loss of appetite, pallor of the mucous membranes, icterus, fever, and splenomegaly
• Babesia canis : an etiologic agent of canine babesiosis in the domestic dog, wolf, and certain jackals, transmitted by Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Haemophilus leachi, Hyalomma plumbeum, and Dermacentorspp., and occurring worldwide.
• Babesia gibsoni : an etiologic agent of canine babesiosis in the domestic dog, jackal, wolf, and fox, and also infecting the mongoose, ferret, and badger, transmitted by the ticks Haemaphysalis bispinosa and Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and occurring in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Korea, Egypt, Japan, and the United States.
• Babesia vogeli : an etiologic agent of canine babesiosis in the domestic dog, transmitted by the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and occurring in Asia and Africa.
A plug-in pheromone spray may ease the bad behaviour of petulant pooches. Dogs exposed to the scent for one week barked more softly and less often than regularly housed animals, research from the University of Edinburgh reveals. The “dog appeasing pheromone diffuser” produced by CEVA Sante Animale releases soothing synthetic chemicals that mimic those produced by nursing bitches. It is hoped the device will help abandoned hounds be more appealing to potential owners.
Although aflatoxin has been associated with cancer in people, it does NOT cause cancer in dogs. Dogs do not live long enough to develop any kind of cancer that may be associated with aflatoxin. Dogs are sensitive to low-level long-term intake. Sensitivity to aflatoxins depends on a dog's individual susceptibility, age, pregnancy status, and nutritional status. Signs in an affected dog may include bloody vomiting or diarrhea, general lethargy and loss of appetite, increased water consumption and urination as well as jaundice or yellowing of the whites of the eyes or gums. In severe cases, aflatoxin can cause death. Before Dec 1, 2005 Diamond Pet Food discovered aflatoxin in pet food products manufactured at its facility in Gaston, South Carolina. Products made at the Gaston facility are shipped to Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Vermont and Virginia. 5 cat food products and 14 dog food products were recalled. The 22 states' veterinarian's offices reported a total of 17 deaths and 24 illnesses believed linked to the tainted pet food. Perhaps the reason for this public notice it not for the protection of dogs but of humans. It is common knowledge that people will eat canned dog food since it is cheaper than other protein sources and yet it is prepared under similar FDA regulations as for human foods. According to 16 Feb 2006 information from the Teaching Veterinary Hospital in Israel, 42 dogs have been hospitalised there so far, all showing typical clinical and clinico-pathological signs of aflatoxin poisoning. 23 of them have died, 6 recovered and released, 13 remain hospitalised. The number of pet dogs in Israel is estimated to exceed 200,000. According to official state regulations, dog owners are required to identify their dogs by approved electronic chips. At present, > 144,000 electronically identifiable dogs are included in the Central Dog Registry, maintained by the State Veterinary Services. Diamond is unaware of any recall food making its way into distribution channels, except in Israel.

• Canis latrans (coyotes) : Yersinia pestis


• Chrysocyon
• Chrysocyon brachyurus (maned wolf) : Dioctophyme renale
• Nyctereutes
• Nyctereutes procyonoides (raccoon dog) : SARS coronavirus


• Vulpes spp. (foxes)
• Vulpes vulpes (red fox) : Leishmania donovani chagasi, Leishmania infantum
• scratch, bite or saliva : rabies virus
• stools
• Toxocara cati (66-77%)
• Toxocara canis (7%)
• Echinococcus multilocularis
• Trichinella nativa
• Dipylidium caninum
• Uncinaria stenocephala
Other nontransmissible diseases :
• Joyeuxiella
• Diplopylidium
• Mesocestoides
• nematodes (Protospirura and Oxynema)
• acanthocephalan (Macracanthorhynchus)
• Taenia crassiceps : a species infecting foxes in Alaska and Canada, found in rodents as an intermediate host.

• Felidae : Bacillus anthracis is not common in African wild felidae, where it is more often reported in lions than leopards. In big cats the lesions are usually oro-pharyngeal -- and lethal. Infected hides are much more common from cows and sheep, because when these animals die or are found dead, the only part that can be harvested is the hide, with the wool or hair of course. This is why the disease is associated with tanneries, especially when the tannery is processing imported hides. Zheng He's trading expeditions to East Africa in the early 15th century may have been how anthrax reached eastern China, specifically the Sterne-Ames group of organisms, which are otherwise found in Natal. The Chinese were fascinated by African wild animals.  He even managed to present a live young giraffe to his emperor. Logically the Chinese merchants and traders would have purchased hides
• Acinonyx
• Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah)
• Catopuma
• Catopuma temminckii (Asiatic golden cat)
• Felis
• Felis catus (cat) : Yersinia pestis (when sylvatic outbreaks occur in rodent populations, domestic cats can become infected through bites of fleas on the rodents, but most acquire plague through ingesting plague-infected squirrels or other rodents. The incubation period in cats may be short, a day or 2, and marked by a fever of up to 41.5°C, lymphadenopathy, lethargy, and anorexia. All 3 forms -- bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic -- usually have all 3 of these signs, and the bubonic form has enlarged lymph nodes as well (buboes; lymphadenopathy; lymphadenitis), especially in the submandibular lymph nodes. Some of these may abscess. Typical buboes often occur in the head and neck, and can be mistaken for cat fight abscesses. Both the bubonic and septicemic forms may also become pneumonic in cats, and this increases the risk of spread to humans. There may occasionally be oral lesions or coughing. The following samples should be taken and forwarded to the relevant diagnostic laboratory: lymph node aspirate in sterile tube with saline, whole blood (red top tube); if necropsy: liver, spleen, LN biopsy, lung (fresh and formalin). Bubonic plague is of zoonotic concern, as individuals may contract disease from either infected fleas or contact with purulent discharges or blood from the cat. An even greater threat occurs when the disease in cats progresses to pneumonic plague. This has been documented in cats, including transmission to veterinarians and owners. Antibiotic treatment is effective in cats, but the threat of plague is only one of many reasons that people should keep their pets free of fleas), Leptospira interrogans, pseudorabies virus (PrV) / Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) / suid herpesvirus 1

influenzavirus A(H₅N₁) ( The first time that this happened, and was reported, was in December 2003 when a few large cats (leopards and tigers) died in a zoo in Thailand after being fed with infected poultry^ref. The second natural event was a much larger H₅N₁ outbreak in zoo tigers, also in Thailand, which had been fed chicken carcasses. Over 140 tigers died, or were euthanised, and there was
convincing evidence of tiger to tiger transmission^{ref1, ref2}. Experimentally, it has been shown that domestic cats can be infected with H₅N₁ through eating infected material and that these infected cats can transmit influenza to other cats. These experimentally infected cats, though limited in number, all became seriously ill when infected and did not seem to shed the virus until they had symptoms^ref. To date the only domestic cats that have been conclusively shown to be infected have been those found ill or dead in the intense epizootic of H₅N₁ in wild birds on Rugen island in Germany in February 2006^{ref1, ref2}. There have been anecdotal reports of increased mortality in cats during H₅N₁ outbreaks in other countries (China, Iraq and Indonesia) but these have not been confirmed by laboratory tests^ref. Unconfirmed reports of infections and deaths from H₅N₁ in cats elsewhere should always be interpreted cautiously. A recent preliminary report of infected cats in Austria was eventually not confirmed. Reports of positive serology for H₅N₁ infection in non-bird species should be treated with particular caution, especially if these involve healthy animals and there has been no actual evidence of H₅N₁ virus (PCR or viral isolation). Serology for H₅N₁ may be helpful but it needs to be undertaken in laboratories used to handling H₅N₁ serology and able to exclude the cross-reactions that can occur with H₅N₁^ref. So what should be the recommended actions for cat owners when H₅N₁ is reported in wild birds, and what is the risk to humans? The Food and Agriculture Organization has produced guidance. The difficult decision is when to apply this guidance. This would be highly recommended and reasonable guidance concerning a poultry outbreak or in an intense epizoonotic such as on Rugen Island. However, the actions would probably be considered unreasonable and over-cautious where there have perhaps been just one or 2 birds infected. Veterinary authorities in European Union countries have not always tried to enforce guidance like this in the latter circumstances. Also, as cat owners have pointed out, there are practical difficulties for some of the guidance -- like trying to keep cats in houses. FAO Recommended Actions in Areas where H₅N₁ HPAI has been diagnosed or is suspected in poultry or wild birds^ref:
• report any evidence of significant bird mortality (both wild and domestic) to the local veterinary authority
• be especially vigilant for any dead or sick cats and report such findings to the local vet
• make sure contact between cats and wild birds or poultry (or their faeces) is avoided and/or keep cats inside
• if cats bring a sick or dead bird inside the house, put on plastic gloves and dispense of the bird in plastic bags for collection by local veterinary animal handlers
• keep stray cats outside the house and avoid contact with them
• if cats show breathing problems or nasal discharge, a veterinarian should be consulted
• do not touch or handle any sick-looking or dead cat (or other animal) and report to the authorities
• wash hands with water and soap regularly and especially after handling animals and cleaning their litter boxes or coming in contact with faeces or saliva
• dogs can only be taken outside the premises if kept restrained
• do not feed any water birds
• disinfect (e.g. with bleach 2-3%) cages or other hardware with which sick animals have been transported or been in contact
• wash animal blankets with soap or any other commercial detergent
• those living on farms should also be aware of the risk that semi-domestic cats (feral domesticated and farm cats) could shed the virus
into poultry feed or housing, leading to exposure of poultry.
The risk to humans from an H₅N₁-infected cat is hard to quantify^ref. Cats naturally hunt wild birds, will choose sick birds and have close contact with humans as companion animals. Given that one cat can infect another, the risk to humans cannot be zero. However, as H₅N₁ remains poorly adapted to humans, the cat's infection will not cross over easily^ref. The present evidence is that cats with infectious H₅N₁ are quite ill, so the risk of acquiring H₅N₁ from a clinically normal cat may be negligible. Also, risk will be minimal in areas where there is no H₅N₁. While it could be argued that owners should be cautious around cats with respiratory infections, cats (like humans) catch many of these. For example, there are common infections confusingly called 'cat flu'' which are not caused by an influenza virus at all but are due to either a cat calicivirus or herpesvirus. Humans are actually at considerably greater risk from other zoonoses in cats such as toxocara, toxoplasmosis and ringworm, and basic hygiene measures for handling companion animals are important to protect against these^ref)
cowpox virus, Nipah virus, Cystoisospora felis, Cystoisospora rivolta (infections may be subclinical or may lead to mild coccidiosis)
• bites : Streptobacillus moniliformis, Pasteurella dagmatis, Pasteurella multocida, rabies virus (rabies in cats is not, in fact, rare. In various countries (such as Israel), the usual annual rate of cat/dog rabies fluctuates between 1/5 to 1/15 -- that is, one rabid cat per 5 to 15 rabid dogs. In the most recently available WHO World Survey of Rabies (1999) there have been, worldwide, 7578 and 1157 laboratory confirmed cases in dogs and cats, respectively. In the Russian Federation, the figures for 1999 were 465 and 253^ref. Cats should be vaccinated, regardless of their indoor/outdoor status. Many states have enacted rules or legislation that requires that cats be vaccinated with a 3-year vaccine once every 3 years. The rationale for this requirement was that some cats suffer vaccine-related sarcomas which may prove fatal to the cat. Although vaccine-related sarcomas are not pleasant, it is better than exposing one's family to rabies. Vaccinating cats with a 3-year vaccine once every 3 years has reduced the rate of vaccine-related sarcomas. Rabies is a deadly disease, but it can present in several forms, one of which is a change in behavior. Animals may become either aggressive or withdrawn. Some may appear lethargic and ill, but are not recognized as having a behavior change. Also, other diseases present in the animal, such as liver disease, may confuse the diagnosis)
• scratch : Bartonella henselae, Afipia felis, Sporothrix schenckii
• urine : Hendra virus
• stools
• Toxocara cati (33-55.2%; a higher percentage is noted in the groups of indoor kept cats of 1-6 month (27.1%) than that of outdoor kept cats of 1-6 month (17.9%), 7 month-1 year (18.5%) and 4-5 year (14.3%)), Dipylidium caninum (20.7%), Campylobacterjejuni (0.8-1%), Salmonellaenterica serotype Typhimurium (0.8%), Cryptosporidium parvum (3.8-5.4%), Giardia intestinalis (2.4-7.3%; most infections are subclinical or show only transient softening of the stool early in the infection, although diarrhea may be acute and short-lived, chronic, or intermittent incats. Treatment for Giardia includes bathing the infected animal and decontamination of the animal's environment with a quarternary ammonium-based disinfectant. Drugs that may be used include metronidazole, albendazole, fenbendazole, and quanacrine), Toxoplasma gondii, Ancylostoma braziliense, Ancylostoma caninum, Trypanosoma rangeli, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania donovani chagasi, Helicobacter felis. At least 1 zoonotic agent is detected in 13.1-40.7% of samples.
Other non-transmittable diseases :
• Demodex cati : a species causing mange in cats
• feline calicivirus : a virus of the genus Calicivirus, transmitted by aerosol droplets and fomites, that causes respiratory disease in cats.
• Cytauxzoon felis (cytauxzoonosis : a tick-transmitted parasitic disease that destroys a cat's red blood cells transmitted from wild bobcats to domestic cats, kills the majority of domestic cats it infects within days, while bobcats can carry the parasite with no ill effect. Signs include jaundice, high fever, lethargy, and rapid weight loss)
• Mycoplasma haemofelis (a.k.a. Haemobartonella felis) : a species that causes feline infectious anemia and can be transmitted from cat to cat by biting during fights.
• feline babesiosis : loss of appetite, lethargy, weakness, rough coat, and pale mucous membranes.
• Babesia cati : an etiologic agent of feline babesiosis in the domestic cat and Indian wildcat, occurring in India; the vector is unknown.
• Babesia felis : an etiologic agent of feline babesiosis in the domestic cat, Sudanese wildcat, puma, and leopard in the Sudan and South Africa; the vector is unknown.
• Babesia herpailuri : an etiologic agent of feline babesiosis in the jaguarundi in South America and Africa; the vector is unknown.

• Leopardus
• Leopardus pardalis (a.k.a. ocelot)
• Lynx
• Lynx rufus (bobcats) : Yersinia pestis

Other nontransmissible diseases : Taenia krabbei : a species that infects the bobcat, dog, and wolf in the northern United States, Canada, Alaska, and Iceland.

• Panthera
• Panthera leo (lion)
• Panthera onca (jaguar)
• Panthera pardus (leopard)
• Panthera pardus orientalis (a.k.a. Amur leopard) : 30 left in the wild
Other non-transmittable diseases : Babesia pantherae : an etiologic agent of feline babesiosis in the leopard in Kenya; the vector is unknown.
• Panthera tigris (tiger) : the ground of the coat may be any colour from yellow to orange/red, with white areas on the chest, neck, and the inside of the legs. A common recessive variant is the white tiger, which may occur with the correct combination of parents. Black or melanistic tigers have been reported, but no live specimen has ever been recorded. Also in existence are golden tabby tigers (also called golden tigers or tabby tigers) which have a golden hue, much lighter than the colouration of normal tigers, and stripes that are brown. This variation in colour is very rare, and only a handful of golden tabby tigers exist nowadays, all in captivity
• Panthera tigris altaica (Amur tiger) : < 400 left in the wild
• Panthera tigris amoyensis (South China or Amoy tiger)
• Panthera tigris balica (Balinese tiger)
• Panthera tigris corbetti (Corbetts or the Indo-Chinese tiger)
• Panthera tigris mondaica (Javan tiger)
• Panthera tigris sumatrae (Sumatran tiger) : < 500 left in the wild
• Panthera tigris tigris (Bengal tiger)
• Panthera tigris virgata (Caspian tiger)
influenzavirus A(H₅N₁)
• Prionailurus
• Prionailurus viverrinus (a.k.a. Felis viverrinus, fishing cat) : SARS coronavirus
• Puma
• Puma concolor (a.k.a. Panthera concolor, Felis concolor, puma, klandaght, cougar, mountain lion)

=> Cylicospirura felineus (nodular stomach worm) could cause feeding and other behavioral changes, possibly pushing the felines to hunt livestock. The worms embed themselves into intestinal walls and create swollen nodules ranging in size from as small as the size of a pencil eraser to as large as a ping-pong ball. The Rogue Valley and Douglas County, which is the 1st place in Oregon where the parasites were discovered in 2002, are the only places in the state where biologists have looked for them.
Other diseases not transmissible to humans :
• feline parvovirus : a virus of the genus Parvovirus that primarily affects cats.
• canine parvovirus
• feline panleukopenia virus / feline parvo virus (FPV)

=> feline panleukopenia (FP; "panleuk"), agranulocytosis, distemper or infectious astroenteritis / cat plague or fever is a very severe infection because infections would nearly wipe out cat populations in certain geographical areas. This is a highly contagious and severe parvovirus, affecting the enteric (bowel), immune, and nervous systems, and it has several strains. The disease affects almost any feline, including domestic cats and kittens, as well as lions, bobcats, and tigers. The fatality rate in susceptible cats/kittens is 50-90%. In addition to keeping cats indoors, vaccination should also be practised
• mink enteritis virus
... are sometimes considered to be host-specific variant strains.
• feline leukemia virus (FeLV) : the virus can be passed between panthers during mating or during a fight or from mother to kitten, or it may come from a panther run-in with domestic cats or feral cats

Prevention : vaccine
• Leucogen^® : recombinant subunits + QA-21 adjuvant
• feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a worldwide-occurring lentivirus discovered in 1987 that severely impairs the immune function of infected domestic cats, in which the prevalence has been reported to range from 1 to 28%. FIV has not been found, so far, to infect humans, and, due to structural and biological similarities, it represents a promising model for HIV. A dual-subtype FIV commercial vaccine -- the 1st animal lentivirus vaccine -- was approved by the USDA in 2002. We are not aware of its efficacy in non-domestic feline species. The primary mode of FIV transmission is sexual contact and bite wounds. On rare occasions, infection is transmitted from mother to cub, usually upon passage through the birth canal, or, when newly-born cubs ingest contaminated milk. Common among the symptoms are persistent fever; diarrhea, with a loss of appetite; poor coat condition; chronic, or recurrent, infection of the skin and urinary bladder; abortions; behavior changes; and seizures. All of this is followed by slow, but progressive, weight loss and neurological disorders. Lion prides are more affected by the disease (e.g. in Kruger National Park, in South Africa), because they are highly sociable and are in constant physical contact with each other. Other felines, the leopard and cheetah, also have FIV, but, are said to be less susceptible, because they are more solitary.
• feline respiratory disease complex / feline influenza : a group of contagious viral infections of the upper respiratory tract in cats, characterized by fever, sneezing and coughing, and discharges from the nose and eyes. The usual cause is infection with
• a calicivirus
• felid or feline herpesvirus 1 / feline rhinotracheitis virus => feline viral rhinotracheitis : the feline respiratory disease complex, usually manifesting as an acute febrile infection of the upper respiratory tract and conjunctivae in kittens, with a mucopurulent discharge from the eyes and nose, photophobia, coughing, and sneezing.
• feline urological syndrome (FUS) : dysfunction of the feline lower urinary tract. In male cats there is usually partial or complete obstruction from uroliths or other plugs, and in females there is more often cystitis or urethritis. There may be various causes, including decreased physical activity and excessive dietary magnesium.
• pulmonary infiltration with eosinophilia (PIE) syndrome / eosinophilic pneumonia : a syndrome of diffuse pulmonary infiltration and peripheral eosinophilia, seen in dogs and sometimes cats; the cause varies but sometimes it may be an allergic reaction. Affected animals are dyspneic with decreased exercise tolerance
• feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) is a TSE. When the identification of FSE was initially published by the Bristol Veterinary School in 1990, this was the 1st indication that BSE is capable of crossing the species barrier and sparked fears that it might affect humans as well. This was confirmed 6 years later. According to DEFRA's BSE-site's update of 30 Jun 2003, 90 FSE cases have been diagnosed in the UK so far, including 20 since 1996 (the last one in 2001). Of these 20 cases, 8 could be clearly identified as having been born after September 1990 (i.e., the date the ban on the use of SBO was extended to any animal feed). 5 additional cases have been reported outside the UK, namely Norway, Liechtenstein (1 case each), and Switzerland (2 cases). In addition, 21 cases of TSE regarded to be FSE have been reported in exotic felids in zoos, their age ranging between 6 and 17 years. Of those, 16 have been recorded in the UK (5 Acinonyx jubatus, 2 Panthera leo, 3 Leopardus pardalis, 3 Puma concolor, & 3 Panthera tigris). 5 additional cases, in Acinonyx jubatus, have reportedly been identified outside the UK: 1 in Australia (1991; the very 1st case diagnosed in a cheetah), 1 in Ireland, & 3 in France. 4 of these cases are known to have originated in the UK, while one was diagnosed in a cheetah born in France. A presumptive FSE case in an imported Catopuma temmincki in an Australian zoo was reported in August 2002.
• Mustelidae
• Lutrinae
• Enhydra
• Enhydra lutris (sea otter) : Sarcocystis neurona is a parasite that originates in the feces of opossum -- a small marsupial not native to California -- and is known to cause encephalitis. Researchers are unclear how the otters came into contact with the feces. The North America or Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is native in the East, but was introduced to the West of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains
• Melinae
• Meles
• Meles meles (Eurasian badgers) : rabies virus, Mycobacterium bovis


• Mustelinae
• Galictis
• Galictis cuja : Dioctophyme renale
• Martes
• Martes americana (American marten) : Dioctophyme renale
• Martes foina (beach martens) : rabies virus


• Mustela
• Mustela eversmannii (polecats) : rabies virus
• Mustela nivalis (least weasel) : rabies virus


• Mustela putorius furo (domestic ferret) : rabies virus, Influenzavirus A


Recently, a number of veterinarians and pathologists have observed a spike in mortality in young ferrets < 1 year of age. Deaths occur in animals that appear to have overwhelming bacterial infections that are unresponsive to a wide range of treatments. Several unusual findings have linked animals necropsied on both the east and west coasts of the USA, and suggest that a new syndrome may have appeared in our pet ferret population. This is not an epidemic situation, nor does the disease appear very contagious at this time. The condition is sporadic and most commonly affects only a single animal in a household. Unfortunately, even with the highest levels of care, few animals have survived this condition once diagnosed. Investigations on these cases to date have failed to disclose a cause for the condition. This is likely attributable to the slow progression of disease and the number of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and other treatments that are often used in a valiant attempt to keep the animals alive. Recent postings on the Ferret Mailing List (FML) and in other circles on this new syndrome have sparked a lot of interest in this "mystery disease". One approach that has not yet been tried is to obtain diagnostic samples from veterinarians and shelter operators prior to any attempted therapy. This may be in the form of surgical biopsy of abscessed skeletal muscle or lymph nodes, or necropsy tissue from animals that have been euthanized without treatment. The prospect of euthanizing an animal without attempting treatment is loathe to all of us; however, the extended use of antibiotics and other drugs in these cases (even those to which the organism is not particularly sensitive to) likely lowers the concentration of the agent to an extent where we cannot successfully culture it, or view it under the microscope. There is no indication that antibiotics themselves are causing the problem -- however it is very likely that they are masking the true culprit. Let me also clarify that this particular disease has not been linked to any breeder, pet store, distribution center, activity, or anything at all at this point.
Symptoms & signs : persistent high fever (> 104°F or 40°C), markedly elevated WBC count, discomfort or pain in the hind legs
enlargement of one or more peripheral nodes, cellulitis or abscessation of peripheral nodes or adjacent soft tissue. Proper collection of tissues is paramount. Surgical biopsies, such as enlarged lymph nodes, should be bisected and several touch imprints of the cut surface prepared and air-dried for cytologic examination and gram staining. Half of the tissue can then be placed in formalin; the other half should be immediately frozen for bacteriological examination. If an untreated animal is presented for necropsy, the widest range of tissues should be taken. Once again, equal halves can be formalin-fixed and frozen. Screening of cytologic preps and formalin-fixed tissues will be performed to determine whether further investigation (bacteriology, virology, etc.) is warranted on frozen tissue.
• Mustela vison (American mink) : Dioctophyme renale

Other nontransmissible diseases :
• Aleutian mink disease parvovirus => Aleutian disease of minks (ADM) : a chronic, progressive disease of mink, caused by a parvovirus, marked by inappetence, weight loss, lethargy, polydipsia, and hemorrhages; death may result from kidney failure.
• transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) is a TSE. An outbreak occurred in Wisconsin in the 1980s
• Ursidae
• Ursus
• Ursus spp. (bear) : Trichinella nativa


• Pinnipedia
• Odobenidae
• Odobenus
• Odobenus rosmarus (walrus) : Trichinella nativa


• Phocidae (seals) : Influenzavirus A H₄, Influenzavirus A H₇, Influenzavirus B


• canine distemper virus (CDV) is a morbillivirus which, in 1987-1988, caused high mortality among Baikal seals (Phoca siberica) in Lake Baikal in Siberia, and was suspected of having caused a die-off of crabeater seals in Antarctica, in 1955. In recent years, other morbilliviruses (phocine and cetacean morbilliviruses) have caused several major epizootics among aquatic mammal populations in various regions of the world

Taenia hydatigena, Trichinella britovi

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