Deadly "bobcat fever" is spreading across the eastern United States this summer, prompting experts to warn cat owners about the condition that can kill pets within days. The tickborne illness, also known as Cytauxzoonosis, has been detected in cats in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee, amid a record season for tick-related emergency room visits.
What is Bobcat Fever?
Bobcat fever is often transmitted to cats through the bite of parasite-infected Lone Star and American Dog Ticks, which are found from Texas to Maine. Untreated infections can lead to seizures, hypothermia, coma, and death within days. According to North Carolina State University, 97 percent of untreated cats die from the disease.
There are between hundreds and thousands of bobcat fever deaths in America each year, although no precise death toll is available. At least five cats have died in Green Country, Oklahoma, in just two weeks, according to Skiatook Paws and Claws Animal Rescue.
Prevention is Key
"In areas like Oklahoma, tick populations thrive in warm months, especially in grassy, wooded, and rural environments," the organization wrote in a Facebook post. "Outdoor cats - and even indoor/outdoor cats - are at high risk of exposure."
That is why prevention is crucial, including efforts to address ticks near your home. Cats should be kept indoors, and owners should give their cats yearly flea and tick prevention medications prescribed by a veterinarian. Regularly checking cats for ticks is also essential, as even a few hours of exposure can transmit bobcat fever.
Symptoms to Watch For
Knowing the symptoms of bobcat fever is vital to ensuring cats receive life-saving care. Signs include lethargy, decreased appetite, pale gums, yellow gums and eyes, difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, and fever. Cats are diagnosed with bobcat fever after blood work that looks for the infection in red blood cells.
Most cases require hospitalization. Even cats that survive infection can get it again and may become carriers for the disease. Cats have a 60 percent chance of surviving infections when given antibiotics or other medication, according to VCA Animal Hospitals.
Ongoing Research
Researchers are still working on a vaccine for bobcat fever that improves survival rates. "If you’re noticing any sort of concerning clinical signs of your kitty not feeling well, getting them to a vet ASAP to get them checked out," advised Dr. Carley Allen of All Cats Clinic in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in an interview with KFSM.
History and Spread
Bobcat fever was first reported in Missouri, with initial cases in bobcats in the 1970s. For years, the disease was only documented in the south-central region of the U.S. However, the northward spread of ticks, largely due to a warmer and more humid climate, has led to infections documented in 35 states.
"Between 1998 and 2004 we saw a series of 34 cases from North and South Carolina and Virginia," recalled Dr. Adam Birkenheuer, an associate professor of internal medicine at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. "We reported this surge in cases in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association as we went from having never seen this deadly disease to times where we saw several cases a week."
