COVID-19 has raised everyone’s awareness of infectious diseases, but rabies has been around for thousands of years.
It remains one of the world’s most dreaded viral diseases for two simple reasons.
First, it crosses species barriers, infecting every different kind of warm-blooded animal, including humans, making it the world’s worst zoonotic disease.
Second, it’s a deadly disease: When infected animals (or humans) show signs of rabies, there’s little you can do to save them.
Quick Facts: Feline Rabies
Rabies is present in more than 100 countries in most parts of the world, including the American, Asian and African continents, as well as parts of Europe. About 60,000 people die from rabies each year.
The virus is typically present in wildlife hosts (such as dingoes, foxes, wolves, and bats) with intermittent transmission to domestic pets (dogs and cats).
The specific wild animal library depends on the location.
For example, in the United States, skunks and raccoons are common hosts.
A handful of countries are rabies-free, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, and Japan, as well as Antarctica, some Pacific islands, and parts of Scandinavia. These regions have strict controls on the import of animals to prevent the introduction of rabies into their native wild and domestic animal populations.
There are many variants of rabies virus and cats are less susceptible to canine viruses but may be more susceptible to certain wild animal-derived rabies viruses.
How Cats Get Rabies
The sequence of events in rabies virus infection is as follows.
- A cat is bitten by an animal with rabies in its saliva. Cat bites are common whenever cats fight.
- this the bite becomes infected Vaccination against rabies virus.
- Then the rabies virus multiplies locallyand travel along the nerves from the bite site to the spinal cord and up to the central nervous system, including the brain.
- Rabies virus continues to replicate in the brainthe virus particles enter the parotid salivary gland along another nerve, causing the animal’s saliva to become saturated with virus particles.
- this Rabies virus in the brain causes physical changes Causes unusual behavior, including aggression towards other animals and people.
- As part of this aggressive behavior, a cat is May bite another animal or person, Pass on the rabies virus to the next victim.
One of the complications of feline rabies is that the virus is present in the saliva of infected animals for 1-5 days before any symptoms of rabies appear.
This means that human victims may not realize they have been bitten by a rabid animal, since cats appear normal when bitten.
Symptoms of Feline Rabies
Rabies can manifest itself in cats in two broad ways: “rage” and “paralysis”, and the associated clinical signs are listed below.
Both types begin in the same way, with a so-called “prodromal” phase, in which affected cats show loss of appetite, unusual behavioral changes, irritability, and sometimes repeated licking at the site of the animal’s bite. Hyperthermia may be noted.
- this is the most common rampage of rabies, which is the feline equivalent of the classic “mad dog,” with severe aggression and weird, deviant behavior, such as attacking objects in the environment. Other neurologic symptoms may also be present, including disorientation, seizures, tremors, and uncoordinated movements.
- this The second type or stage of rabies is the so-called “paralytic” form, although this can develop instead of the “rampant” form (which is more common in dogs), in cats it usually follows the berserk form as the “paralysis phase”, which develops after 2-4 days. Neurological signs change from active to passive: paralysis begins to develop, drooling and excessive salivation due to inability to swallow, mucosal hyperemia, and many other signs associated with progressive loss of muscle function lead to death a few days later when respiratory muscles are paralyzed.
Diagnosis of feline rabies
If your cat shows any of the above signs, be sure to take them to the veterinarian for a full evaluation.
A rabies diagnosis cannot be definitively confirmed in a live animal, so unfortunately only a strong suspicion can be made based on the medical history (e.g. in an unvaccinated cat) and the symptoms described above, and euthanasia can be performed in cases where there is a strong suspicion of rabies.
After this operation is performed, an autopsy is performed, in which brain tissue is sampled and tested in one of the following ways:
- Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) Detection, also known as a fluorescent antibody test, uses antibodies that fluoresce under ultraviolet light: if these antibodies bind to brain tissue, it indicates the presence of the rabies virus. This is the standard form of testing in most countries.
- Direct Rapid Immunohistochemical Test (dRIT) is a newer type of test that can be performed more easily in parts of the world with less developed scientific laboratory infrastructure.
- Older, less used diagnostic methods include Histopathological examination of brain tissueand Direct inoculation of live mice with cat tissueto monitor mice for signs of rabies.
Cat Rabies Treatment
Rabies is untreatable: when the condition is strongly suspected, euthanasia is recommended for two reasons. First, when a cat has rabies, the only possible outcome is an uncomfortable death, making euthanasia the only humane option.
Second, rabid cats pose a serious threat to human health, so euthanasia is necessary for human safety and may be enforced by disease control agencies such as the CDC.
in conclusion
All cats in areas where rabies exists should be regularly vaccinated to protect them from this dreadful, life-destroying disease.
Read more: Rabies Vaccines for Cats
frequently asked questions
How common is rabies in cats?
Globally, dogs are more susceptible to rabies than cats, but in the United States, cats are the most common rabid domestic animal, with hundreds of cat rabies cases each year. Their increased susceptibility may be due to the fact that cats are less likely to be vaccinated against rabies than dogs, and they are more likely to roam freely in the countryside and encounter wild animals. Feral cats may also be more susceptible, and rabid cats may not even be noticed because they have no caretakers to take care of them.
Can indoor cats get rabies?Do they need a rabies vaccine?
Indoor cats are less likely to encounter wild animals carrying rabies than outdoor cats, but they can still come into contact with small animals such as bats that can carry the disease, so infection is less likely.
How long can a cat live with rabies?
The incubation period (the time between being bitten by a rabid animal and showing signs of rabies) in cats has been reported to range from 2 to 24 weeks, with an average of 4-6 weeks. Most cats survive no more than ten days after showing signs of rabies if the cat is not euthanized first.
Can Feline Rabies Be Prevented?
Rabies vaccination of cats is very effective in preventing rabies infection and is considered a core (required) vaccine in countries where rabies is present. A single dose of rabies vaccine should be given at 12 weeks of age, followed by a booster vaccine one year later and repeated every 1-3 years depending on the specific product data sheet and local animal conditions.
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.