FVBD
FVBD is an acronym used in veterinary medicine for vector- borne diseases in cats . The acronym stands for F eline V ector- b orne D iseases. Various blood-sucking arthropods such as fleas , lice , ticks , mosquitoes and sandflies serve as vectors . FVBD occur worldwide and are among the emerging diseases due to travel and the spread of vectors due to climate change . The diseases can also be transmitted through blood transfusions and should therefore be excluded in donor animals. As with vector-transmitted diseases in dogs ( CVBD ), bartonellosis , rickettsioses and the plague in particular are important for humans in the sense of a zoonosis . FVBD is combated through consistent protection against ectoparasites through the use of antiparasitic drugs that kill them quickly ( speed-of-kill ).
Overview of the FVBD
Bartonellos
Bartonellosis are caused by various bacteria of the genus Bartonella and are the FVBD with the greatest zoonotic importance at present. In most cats, bartonellosis are subclinical, i.e. without clear symptoms of the disease. The most important vector is the cat flea, whereby the transmission to other cats or humans occurs most frequently through scratches caused by claws contaminated with flea excrement. In addition to the relatively harmless cat scratch disease , there are also serious neurological diseases. Protection against the disease consists in consistent flea prophylaxis and the avoidance of scratches (clipping claws, limited contact) or their immediate cleaning and disinfection. In particular, people with a weakened immune system should only bring cats into their household that are over a year old, have been kept alone and are flea-free. Such animals are unlikely to have bacteremia .
Feline Infectious Anemia
Feline Infectious Anemia is caused by hemotropic mycoplasmas that can only survive on red blood cells . It occurs worldwide, the cat flea is considered to be the primary vector . Weakened animals with a reduced immune system are particularly affected. In these, the infection causes macrocytic, normochromic, or hypochromic hemolytic anemia . Antibiotic drugs such as doxycycline are used for treatment , but the animals are likely to remain carriers of the pathogen for life. It is not clear whether the disease has any significance as a zoonosis.
Rickettsiosis
The flea typhus (Syn. Cat flea typhus , cat flea typhus ) belongs to the rickettsial and is Rickettsia felis caused. It occurs worldwide. Cats do not get sick, so far it has not even been possible to isolate the pathogen from the blood of cats. To do this, R. felis can be isolated from the blood of dogs and cat fleas. It is believed that cats only play an epidemiological role in maintaining the cat flea population. In humans, erythema , macules , papules , crusts , fever, fatigue and headache occur.
Cytauxzoonosis
The cytauxzoonosis is occurring in cats in the central and eastern southern United States bacterial disease that is transmitted by ticks. The pathogen destroys the red blood cells and causes anemia . Diminazen is used for treatment . Man is not endangered.
pest
The plague only occurs in a few endemic areas in Africa, America and Asia. Cats are very sensitive to the pathogen Yersinia pestis . It is transmitted through fleas from rodents or ingestion by small mammals. In cats, the head lymph nodes ( mandibular lymph nodes , retropharyngeal lymph nodes ) swell , and occasionally septic shock or severe pneumonia occur. Transmission from cats to humans is possible through bite and scratch injuries as well as through droplet infection or indirectly through fleas.
Tularemia
Tularemia is a disease found in Europe and North America in rabbits and other small mammals. Cats can become infected by ingesting infected animals and develop swelling of the lymph nodes , spleen and liver . Infected cats can also transmit tularemia to humans through bites.
Babesiosis
The babesiosis of cats is Babesia felis caused and transmitted by ticks. The disease occurs only in southern Africa and is harmless to humans. In cats it causes the destruction of the red blood cells and thus a more or less pronounced anemia .
Other diseases
In addition, there are a number of other vector-borne diseases that can affect cats. Cats can rarely get sick with diseases that are more typical for dogs, such as heartworm disease , leishmaniasis , ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis .
Web links
literature
- Mary Thompson and Peter Irvin: Vector-borne diseases in cats. In: Veterinary Focus Volume 26, Issue 2, 2016, pp. 25–31.
