Feline Distemper Virus

Most people have heard of feline distemper only because the distemper vaccine represents the core recommended regular immunization for pet cats. Because the vaccine is highly effective, most cat owners do not have a lot of experience with the actual feline distemper infection. The infection is highly contagious among unvaccinated cats, usually kittens and young adult cats living in groups. Barn cats, feral colonies, animal shelter groups, pet stores, and rescue facilities are high risk for outbreaks.

Infection And Disease

An inected cat sheds large amounts of virus in all body secretions including feces, vomit, urine, saliva, and mucus. The virus persists long after evidence of the original secretion has faded away.

The virus enters the victims body and proceeds to infect repidly dividing cells. The lymph nodes of the throat are the first and from there, over the next 2-7 days, the virus rushes to the bone marrow and intestine.

In the intestine, the virus causes ulceration leading to diarrhea and life-threatening dehydration as well as bacterial infection. The patient dies from either dehydration or secondary bacterial infection.

Because most cats are exposed to this virus to some extent, it is unusual for a kitten to have no immunity whatsoever. Further, the vaccine is so effective that even one dose can provide long lasting protection.. As a result, infection is largely limited to unvaccinated younger animals kept in groups (which corresonds to exposure to amounts of virus large enough to overwhelm their partial immunity).

Mortality of the infected is typically considered 90%, though it has been said that a kitten that survives the first 5 days is likely to survive the infection.

Diagnosis Of Infection

Any kitten with fever, appetite loss, diarrhea and/or vomiting is a suspect for feline distemper. Classically, a white blood cell count shows almost no white blood cells; there are very few causes of white cell counts this low and the infection can be confirmed.

Treatment

The infected cat can recover if he/she can be kept alive until his/her immune system recovers from the panleukopenia and can throw off the infection.

Treatment consists of antibiotics and aggressive fluid therapy to control dehydration. There is little chance of survival without hospitalization.

Recovery

If a cat is lucky enough to recover from this infection, generally no permanent damage is retained and the cat goes on with lifetime immunity.

Prevention

Vaccination is generally effective in generating immunity against infection. Vaccine protocols call for a least 3 doses of vaccine to be given 3-4 weeks apart with the last dose being about 14 weeks of age.

Boosters for feline leukemia virus is generally given 1-3 years depending on the animal hospital.

Vaccination is given in an injection.