Friday, July 1st - Plague Found In Fort Collins Pet Cat... The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment reports that a pet cat in Fort Collins has been diagnosed with plague. Test results confirmed the diagnosis on June 28, although the cat was first treated by a veterinarian on June 8.The cat, which has recovered, belongs to a family living in west Fort Collins near Elizabeth St. and Overland Trail. The Health Department is advising residents living in nearby areas to avoid sick or dead rodents and to be alert to possible signs of plague in pets, particularly cats. Because plague-infected rodents can be found all along the Front Range, all cat owners are advised to take precautions. Two cats with plague have already been reported this summer near Cheyenne, Wyoming, and plague has been found in black squirrels near Lyons in Boulder County. Human cases of bubonic plague have already occurred this spring in LaPlata and Mesa counties in Colorado. Cats are often infected by killing and eating infected rodents and can transmit the disease to humans through bites, scratches, or droplets from their coughs. Plague is also transmitted to humans through the bites of infected fleas which can be acquired from wild animals as well as pets. Infected pet cats are an important source of direct exposure to humans because of their close contact with their owners Signs of infection in cats may include swelling and sores around the mouth, head, and neck regions, and coughing if the cat develops pneumonia. Insecticide powders and shampoos may protect pets from the fleas, however they will not protect a cat that consumes an infected animal. For this reason, cats in plague-infested areas should not be allowed to roam where they may catch and kill wild rodents. In humans, plague bacteria may cause different forms of infections. In the bubonic form of plague, there is extreme pain and swelling of the lymph nodes (buboes) nearest the site of the flea bite, generally the groin or armpit regions. Bubonic plague, which is not transmissible from person to person, can spread to the lungs and become pneumonic plague, which can infect close contacts. In plague pneumonia, symptoms include severe coughing with a frothy, bloody phlegm, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Treatment with antibiotics is effective during the early stages of disease. While human plague is uncommon, the risk can be reduced by taking certain precautions, especially in rural areas: · Prevent flea and tick bites by using insect repellents containing DEET on exposed skin, and treating clothing with DEET or a permethrin-containing insecticide · Avoid contact with all sick and dead rodents. Report the areas where such animals are found to local health departments or to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. · Do not catch, play with, or attempt to hand-feed wild rodents or entice any rodent into the yard or onto the back porch or patio. · Teach children never to handle wild animals. · Keep all dogs leashed, or leave them at home when hiking or camping. · Restrain cats and dogs from roaming at all times. · Use insecticide powders or shampoos on cats and dogs every few days while in plague-infested areas. · Watch cats for plague symptoms such as lack of appetite, fever, lethargy, swellings around the mouth and neck, and coughing or difficulty breathing. Seek professional veterinary care for such animals and do not handle suspiciously sick pets without gloves and face protection. · Eliminate potential rodent shelters, such as piles of lumber, broken cement, trash and weed around homes or cabins. · Make certain that houses and outbuildings are as rodent-proof as possible. Keep foundations in good repair and eliminate overhanging trees from roof and windows. For more information contact the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment at 498-6775, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, (303) 692-2700 or call your private physician. |