Known as rustrela virus, the deadly germ causes a neurological illness in cats called staggering disease.
A devastating and only recently discovered virus has now been found in America’s wild cats. In a new case report, scientists and wildlife officials in Colorado document the first known U.S. infection of rustrela virus in a mountain lion. The germ causes an usually fatal neurological illness in cats called staggering disease.
A video of the sickened mountain lion captured by a homeowner in the area. Credit: Fox, et al/Emerging Infectious DiseasesWhile rare, staggering disease has been known to sicken domesticated and wild felines throughout Europe since the 1970s. This new case,Thursday in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, is the first confirmed report of rustrela virus and staggering disease among cats in the U.S.
“Considering its wide host range in Europe, rustrela virus should be considered as a cause for neurologic diseases among mammal species in North America,” the researchers wrote. “Now that we know what we’re looking for, it should be easier to find new cases if they are out there,” said lead report author Karen Fox, a former pathologist with“With continued collaboration, we plan to learn what we can from our colleagues in Europe while we continue to look for new cases of staggering disease here in Colorado.”
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