The feline panleukopenia virus or "feline distemper," with an 80 percent mortality rate, is approaching epidemic proportions among Taipei City's cats, according to the city's stray cat shelters and veterinarians.
In view of the growing number of cases being reported by Taipei animal hospitals and shelters which are filling up with miserable, wheezing cats, cat owners are urged to get their cats vaccinated.
"Unvaccinated cats are most at risk, especially as the seasons change and during the rainy period. A lack of sunlight helps viruses and bacteria to prol-iferate," said Hsu Chi-ling (
Distemper is characterized by a low white blood cell count due to bleeding enteritis, or inflammation of the small intestine. Symptoms include high fever, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. The virus is spread via droplet infection, with many cats contracting the illness by eating and drinking with other cats, or in the same places that other cats eat and drink. Kittens are especially vulnerable and are not likely to survive the infection.
According to the Taipei Municipal Institute for Animal Health, the city's cat shelters are on high-alert and are warning volunteers to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. Hsu echoed that caveat, saying that cat owners, after returning home, should wash their hands and change their clothes before touching their cats. Additionally, newly purchased cats should not have contact with other animals for at least a week upon arriving in a new home to determine that they are not a risk to other cats, Hsu said.
One reason for the sudden high infection rate could be that the symptoms are similar to other common illnesses, like a simple upset stomach or a cold.
"Cat owners are mistaking the symptoms for a cold or bad stomach, and are not getting their cats to the hospital soon enough as a result," Taipei veterinarian Chen Chun-cheng (陳俊成) said, adding that the time from infection to death spans a mere 10 days or so, leaving owners precious little time to properly address their pet's condition.
However, some cats are able to fight off the virus, so exposure or even infection is not necessarily a death sentence, according to Hsu. Of course, getting your cat vaccinated on time is the best defense, Hsu added.
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