Now a devastating virus that was only recently discovered has been found in feral cats in the United States. In a new case report, Colorado scientists and wildlife officials have documented the first known case of rust virus infection in a mountain lion in the United States. This bacterium causes an often fatal neurological disease in cats called “shock disease.”
In May 2023, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials were notified that a sick wild cougar had escaped into a residential area in Douglas County, Colorado. Most of the mountain lion’s hind legs become limp, meaning the cat moves primarily by dragging with its front legs. Officials first sedated the animal and then executed it by shooting it in the chest to keep its brain intact for further study.
Early tests failed to detect other bacteria known to cause serious brain infections in cats, such as rabies virus or Toxoplasma gondii. But detailed genetic analysis of cat brain and spinal cord tissue finally revealed the existence of cats Rust virus, formally known as Rubellavirus.
Rustrela was discovered just a few years ago. October 2020, researchers detailed The phenomenon was discovered in animals suffering from neurological problems at a zoo in Germany. In February 2023, months before the lion died, scientists elsewhere publish Research seems to confirm that rust fungus is the cause of alarming illnesses.
Domestic and wild cats across Europe have been suffering from this rare but alarming disease since the 1970s. This new case, detailed On Thursday, the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases confirmed for the first time the presence of a rust virus and alarming disease in U.S. cats
Currently, we know very little about the dangers it poses to cats and other animals. For example, the virus isolated from mountain lions is genetically quite different from the variant found in Europe, so it is possible that the virus is already circulating in parts of the United States. It is a close relative of the virus that causes rubella in humans and can Rarely causes neurological diseaseEspecially babies who were infected in the womb. Rubella has been eliminated in the United States since 2004 due to highly effective vaccines and widespread childhood vaccination programs.
“Given its broad host range in Europe, rust virus should be considered a cause of neurological disease in North American mammals,” the researchers wrote.
While the discovery is concerning, it also means scientists can begin to dig further and answer these important questions.
“Now that we know what to look for, it should be easier to find new cases if they exist,” said Karen Fox, a former pathologist and lead author of the report. Colorado Parks and Wildlife in a statement from the agency. “Through continued collaboration, we plan to learn from our European colleagues while continuing to search for new cases of alarming disease in Colorado.”
As part of this effort, residents who encounter similar diseased mountain lions in the area are asked to report their sightings to local wildlife officials.
