Contagious Cat Virus Is Spreading Around North Carolina Animal Shelters

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A highly contagious feline virus has been spreading around North Carolina animal shelters this summer.

Feline panleukopenia, also known as feline distemper can cause diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, and often death in cats. Early warning signs of the virus include listlessness and loss of appetite.

This past week, the Cabarrus County Animal Shelter sent out a press release after discovering an outbreak of the virus in their facility:

“On Tuesday, August 22, staff discovered cats showing symptoms of the highly contagious illness, including vomiting diarrhea and lethargy. Staff immediately notified the staff veterinarian and officials at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and began procedures to contain the outbreak and sanitize the facility.”

The facility has since been decontaminated and they’re once again taking in new animals and allowing adoptions.

Yesterday they posted a plea for local residents to adopt more feline friends to help limit crowding and prevent future disease spreading;

Feline panleukopenia has also been recently discovered at animal shelters in Wake, Lincoln, and Iredell counties.

 

The North Carolina’s DACS’s Animal Welfare Section is urging cat owners to make sure their cats are up to date on vaccinations, and if any warning signs of the virus appear, to use an FPV home testing kit.

They also recommend keeping newly adopted cats isolated from other pets for at least a few days to make sure they’re healthy.

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