Cases of a disease that can be lethal to domestic cats have been confirmed in southern Indiana, including Monroe County.
Known as Bobcat Fever, the disease comes from a parasite, Cytauxzoon felis, that ticks carry. Bobcats are the natural host for the parasite.
“When a tick feeds on an affected bobcat and then it feeds on a domestic cat, it can transmit that parasite from the wildlife to a domestic cat,” said Denise Derrer Spears, public information director for the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.
The disease spreads more quickly during tick season, Spears said, normally between March and September. Cats may feel lethargic, catch a fever, have trouble breathing and experience seizures up to 15 days after being infected. If not treated immediately, it can be fatal. The disease is not transmittable between cats.
“If your cat has any outdoor access at all, your cat needs to be on a tick and flea preventative,” she said. “Be sure to check your pets over to make sure there aren't any ticks attached as well.”
Spears has received calls from veterinarians in Monroe, Greene and Martin counties confirming cases of the disease. She said there is no official tracking mechanism for it. That makes it difficult to compare this year’s numbers to previous years.
“The reportable diseases are usually those that have a very large, significant economic or population devastation impact to it,” she said. “So they tend to be things like highly pathogenic avian influenza or bovine tuberculosis or something that can have a human health impact.”
The first confirmed case of Bobcat Fever in the state was in 2018.
