Bobcat Fever Cases On The Rise In Middle Tennessee

NASHVILLE, TN -- Veterinarians say reports of deadly bobcat fever are on the rise in Middle Tennessee, according to Fox 17.

The disease, transmitted from its eponymous wild cat host to domestic cats via tick bites, can causes death within a few days, as perfectly healthy cats develop a fever and stop eating and slump into lethargy before dying.

"For a pet to go from completely healthy to dead in a very short amount of time is pretty much the status quo of the disease and that's one of the things that makes it so awful," vet April Williams told the station.

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The disease only infects felines, so humans and other pets aren't at risk. The best lines of defense are keeping cats inside and geared up with a high-end tick collar.

The disease moves from bobcats to house cats usually via the Lone Star tick - the same arachnid that can cause the unusual "red meat allergy" in humans.

There are treatments that have been successful in saving cats from the disease, but they require a fairly early diagnosis, which is not always easy with the rapid on-set and quick deterioration associated with bobcat fever. Researchers have also found that not all cats who are infected ever get sick, but those that survive continue to be carriers of the protozoa that causes the disease.

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