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CATS

North Denmark village hit by ‘feline AIDS’ epidemic

All feral cats in the Danish village of Sønder Onsild must be caught after an outbreak of the feline immunodeficiency virus.

North Denmark village hit by 'feline AIDS' epidemic
Photo: Iris/Scanpix

Cats might be said to have nine lives, but this appears to be far from the case in the village, reports local newspaper Nordjyske.

Feline immunodeficiency virus, sometimes called feline AIDS, has been found in at least nine feral cats in the village and surrounding area southwest of the town of Hobro in central Jutland.

Although it cannot be caught be humans or other animal species, cats with the disease can infect each other via biting and scratching. Once infected, the cats cannot be cured.

There is no vaccination against the disease.

The local municipality has agreed to work with Animal Protection Aarhus (Dansk Dyreværn Aarhus) and local cat shelter Min Ven Katten Hobro to capture all the wild cats in the area, reports Nordjyske.

READ ALSO: Shooting cats and dogs now illegal in Denmark

Cats will be captured on a number of dates over the next month.

Local cat owners are advised to keep their cats indoors during this period if they do not have collars or identifying ear tattoos.

Infected cats can take up to ten years to show signs of infection and kittens are infected in the womb. The disease is diagnosed via blood test.

The disease itself is a viral infection that weakens the cat’s immune system. Symptoms can include general sickliness and infectious diseases such as mouth cavity infections, veterinarian Søren Haubro told local Nordjyske.

This risk can be reduced if the cat is spayed, Haubro said, as less aggressive cats are less likely to scratch and bite.

All captured cats that test positive for the disease will be put down, reports Nordjyske. Cats that test negative will be kept at cat shelters or other institutions. 

CAT

Spain records first case of cat contracting coronavirus

Spain has confirmed its first case of a cat contracting Covid-19 in news that will spark alarm among cat owners everywhere.

Spain records first case of cat contracting coronavirus
Photo by Ricardo Avelar on Unsplash

Post-mortem testing on Negrito, a four-year-old cat that was euthanized after being taken to the vet suffering from severe heart disease, revealed that the feline was a victim of the coronavirus.

La Vanguardia newspaper reported that the owner of the cat had died from the virus and that several other people in the household had also been taken ill.

The cat suffered from a pre-existing medical condition quite common in felines known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

He was admitted to an emergency animal hospital with breathing difficulties, a high temperature of 38.2C and heart failure where it was determined that he should be euthanized.

An autopsy performed by Barcelona’s Centre for Research into Animal Health (IRTA-CReSA) detected SARS-CoV-2 virus from samples taken from the cat’s nose and digestive tract.

“The viral load was low and none of the lesions he presented were compatible with the infection caused by the virus. The cat was already suffering from cardiomyopathy and later became infected with SARS-CoV-2, ”said Joaquim Segales, a researcher at the CReSA and professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.  

 “He is a collateral victim of the disease in humans,” he added.

It is not the first time a cat is known to have contracted the coronavirus from humans. So far five other pet cats around the world have reportedly tested positive  as well as a group of eight lions and tigers at New York’s Bronx Zoo.

But in all other cases the animals have shown only mild symptoms of respiratory disease and have recovered without problems.

Compared to the nearly four million confirmed cases of people infected with coronavirus worldwide infected, the number of animals with the virus is very small and Natàlia Majó, director of CReSA-IRTA urged pet owners not to be too worried. 

“The likelihood of a person infecting a cat is extremely low,” she told La Vanguardia.

Scientists say it is extremely unlikely that cats or dogs could pass the virus onto humans but the general advice is to avoid contact with pets from outside your own household and to wash your hands if you do so. 

The RSPCA advises people that it is best avoid kissing your pet, just in case.

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