Cytauxzoonosis is a mostly fatal tick-borne disease in domestic cats. It is identified as the blood parasite Cytauxzoon felis. Tick-borne diseases are diseases or illnesses transmitted by ticks. ...

In Africa, this disease is carried by ungulates, but in North America, it is carried by bobcats, particularly in the South. Although the pathogen lies dormant in wild cats, when transmitted to domestic cats, it becomes extremely virulent. The pathogen is spread to domestic cats through the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis), which can be found in heavily wooded areas and fields. Because of the route of infection, it is most likely that outdoor cats develop the disease. The biggest risk of infection occurs in May through September, but even during that time, it is a very rare disease. Ungulates (meaning roughly hoofed or hoofed animal) make up several orders of mammals, of which six survive: Artiodactyla: even-toed ungulates, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, antelope, and many others Cetacea: whales and dolphins (which evolved from hoofed land animals) Perissodactyla: odd-toed ungulates such as horses and rhinos Proboscidea: elephants... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... For other uses, see Bobcat (disambiguation). ... Southern United States. ... This article is about the domestic cat. ... Families Ixodidae- Hard ticks Argasidae- Soft ticks Nuttalliellidae Tick is the common name for the small arachnids that, along with mites, constitute the order Acarina. ...

Symptoms usually occur within six days of infection. These include depression, lethargy, anorexia, dehydration, fever, and enlarged lymph nodes. Unlike a good deal of other cat diseases, when the cat is in the throes of the fever, it may cry loudly. Due to the anorexia, cats infected with the disease tend to lose liver function within a few days and become jaundiced, losing colour in the gums and nose. Symptoms that may not be apparent to the owner include the haemorrhaging of the spleen, anaemia, heart murmur and leukopaenia. Look up depression in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Fatigue is a feeling of excessive tiredness or lethargy, with a desire to rest, perhaps to sleep. ... Anorexia (deriving from the Greek όρεξη (orexe) = appetite) is the decreased sensation of appetite. ... Dehydration is the removal of water (hydor in ancient Greek) from an object. ... See Fever for the Kylie Minogue album; Fever is also a song by Otis Blackwell. ... Lymph nodes are components of the lymphatic system. ... Jaundice, also known as icterus (adjective:Icteric), is yellowing of the skin, sclera (the white of the eyes) and mucous membranes caused by increased levels of bilirubin in the human body. ... The gingiva, or gums, consist of the tissue surrounding the roots of the teeth and covering the jawbone. ... Human nose in profile You may be looking for Nose, a town in Japan, or The Nose, a story by Nikolai Gogol and an opera by Dmitri Shostakovich. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The spleen is a ductless, vertebrate gland that is not necessary for life but is closely associated with the circulatory system, where it functions in the destruction of old red blood cells in holding a reservoir of blood. ... This article discusses the medical condition. ... Murmurs are abnormal heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent blood flow, which is sufficient to produce audible noise. ...

The vast majority, approximately 95%,^[1] of patients succumb to this disease within the time period of one week. Historically, the treatments available for the disease include blood transfusions and intravenous fluids. ^[2] Currently, a medicine called imidocarb dipropionate is being used to battle the infection, but it has not so far worked well enough for mass usage and tends to cause pain to the animal when injected. Blood transfusion is the taking of blood or blood-based products from one individual and inserting them into the circulatory system of another. ... An intravenous drip in a hospital Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the administration of liquid substances directly into a vein. ...

Although it can be prevented in most cases by use of such medicines as Frontline, there have been cases of cats treated with this medication that have died of Cytauxzoonosis because of the delay between application and absorption into the hair follicle of the feline. In the end, the best way to avoid infection is to disallow access of the outside to domestic felines.

References

1. ^ Hootman, Barbara. Health Of Outside Cats Threatened By Tick Disease. http://www.moggies.co.uk/articles/tick_disease.html
2. ^ Ruben, Dawn. Cytauxzoonosis. http://www.petplace.com/cats/cytauxzoonosis/page1.aspx

External Links

• Cytauxzoonosis - The Merck Veterinary Manual
• Cytauxzoonosis
• Cytauxzoonosis in Cats: An Overview
• Cytauxzoonosis - WSAVA 2002