Feline infectious peritonitis is a viral disease of cats that spreads through feces and occurs worldwide. It is a complex disease that must be diagnosed early because it is fatal. Unfortunately, the news of cats dying from peritonitis in Greece is spreading around the world, and infection rates tend to increase to the point of an outbreak in Cyprus, and what is worrying is that the evidence suggests that a bad mutation of the disease has already occurred. What exactly is happening and is there a threat to cats around the world? Read on to find out more.
News of the death of cats in Greece due to peritonitis
According to veterinarians, most cats do not show symptoms of the disease, and if it does, it will be limited to mild diarrhea. But in some cases, it turns into peritonitis, which is almost always fatal. Rates of this fatal disease are higher in cats that live in close quarters and share toilet facilities, such as rescue stations, for example.
Cats are spread everywhere on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, known as the Cat Island due to its large number of cats. Unfortunately, contagious peritonitis, which is not transmissible to humans, has spread rapidly across Cyprus in recent months and is wreaking havoc because it is highly contagious among cats. According to Greece's Ministry of Agriculture, Cyprus has lost 300,000 cats since January to the impact of this deadly disease. Experts also say that the number of cats on the island equals or exceeds the population of the island, which is just over a million!
Therefore, experts warn that this virus threatens to turn Cyprus into an island of dead cats with an outbreak of the disease. Traumatically, it has killed both feral and domestic cats. It is a strain of the coronavirus. The disease began appearing in the capital, Nicosia, in January, and spread throughout the entire island within three to four months. There are fears that it could kill cat populations around the world if it continues to spread uncontrolled. Symptoms of the disease include fever, abdominal swelling, weakness, and sometimes aggression.
Local authorities in Cyprus have already begun working to change legislation to allow the use of medicines created to treat coronavirus in humans on cats, because these medicines are not permitted for use on animals in Greece. The cost also hinders the control of this disease, as the price of treatment for one cat weighing between 3 kg and 4 kg ranges between £ 2,500 and £ 6,000, which is an exorbitant and exorbitant cost. Therefore, attempts are still continuing to control this disease, but there is no confirmed news yet about what will happen in the coming period. In the absence of government measures, some people buy medicines themselves, as there is a thriving black market for cheap and unlicensed medicines that people have turned to in their desperation and trying to treat cats by any means and prevent the spread of the disease.
To maintain your cat's general health and protect it from diseases, we advise you to purchase:
What do you do if your cat becomes infected with peritonitis and how do you protect your cat from it?
An outbreak of the cat coronavirus known as peritonitis has raised concerns around the world, especially amid reports that it has already reached neighboring countries but with a slightly different version. If your cat shows symptoms such as fever, swollen abdomen, loss of energy and sometimes aggressive behavior, experts say you should take her to the vet immediately. Kittens and those under two years of age are most at risk.
A commercial vaccine is available in some countries to help protect against this deadly disease. However, this vaccine can only be given to kittens over 16 weeks old, and with only minimal efficacy. But by the time the kitten can be vaccinated at week 16, it will have almost always been exposed to the infection. Therefore, the vaccine may have little or no value. Therefore, the only way to prevent your cat from contracting it is to completely avoid contracting the infection and prevent it.
You can reduce the risk by obtaining adopted cats from a source with a relatively small number of cats, and by keeping cats in small, stable groups of fewer than five cats in a household. Here are some tips that you should follow to protect your cat from this deadly epidemic:
- Avoid keeping large groups of cats and multiple litters at one time.
- Keep cats in small, isolated groups.
- Keep at least one litter box for every two cats, and place the boxes in areas that are easy to clean and disinfect.
- Keep litter boxes away from food and water bowls, and clean and disinfect them regularly at least daily.
- Avoid stress and maintain good hygiene and preventative health care for all cats.
- If you have a pregnant cat, isolate her immediately before giving birth and keep her and the newborn kittens isolated from other cats in the household.
To protect your cat's urinary tract, where most diseases begin, we recommend:
In the end, after learning about the news of the death of cats in Greece due to peritonitis, we hope that this deadly disease will stop spreading and spreading, and that the authorities in Cyprus will reach a final solution and take decisive measures to prevent its spread to all parts of the world and the occurrence of a major disaster, praying to God that It protects all cats in the world from being exposed to such a painful disease or infection.
You may also be interested in:
- What are the harms of delaying cat vaccination for your cat? Are vaccinations necessary or not?
- What are the common cat diseases and their symptoms?