Veterinarian warns of deadly, contagious disease spreading in Portland area cats
By Marilyn Deutsch
Click here for updates on this story
PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — A deadly and highly contagious disease is appearing in local cats and kittens after it was essentially eradicated.
The disease is called Feline Distemper Virus or feline panleukopenia, and a local veterinarian tells us the resurgence is alarming.
“That’s typically the most common sign – the diarrhea, extreme lethargy, weakness and falling over,” said Vista Pet Hospital’s Dr. Jessica Thompson.
Thompson said in her 12 years as a vet in Portland, she’s never come into contact with a case of feline panleukopenia until this year. So far in 2021, she’s seen 25 cases.
“It’s 100 percent preventable with vaccination,” Thompson said.
There’s a highly aggressive treatment involving I.V. fluids and antibiotics, but even after the treatment, survival rate is only about 50 percent.
Thompson said kittens are most likely to have the disease and to die from it, but adult cats are vulnerable too.
“We’ve seen three deaths in adult cats as well this year, which was extremely devastating because they were nursing moms,” Thompson said.
As for the reason behind the resurgence, Thompson believes it has something to do with the pandemic. She points to a slowed down rescue effort for stray cats and a decline in normal routine vet care appointments, which meant some ended up going unvaccinated.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
