Distemper In Cats Feline panleukopenia is a leading cause of death in kittens. It bears no connection to the virus that causes distemper in dogs, although it has been called feline distemper. There may, however, be crossover infectivity between cats and the newer types of parvovirus isolated in dogs. Panleukopenia virus is present there are creatures that are susceptible. Ferrets, mink, raccoons, and wild cats all function as a reservoir. The virus is highly contagious. Contaminated food dishes, bedding, litter boxes, and the clothes or hands of individuals who have treated an infected cat are other routes of exposure. According to http://catsanddogsdotcom.com/, Feline Distemper is one of the most deadly diseases that may happen on your cat. The feline distemper virus amounts to a single strand of DNA. It's extremely secure in the environment, which leads to its depiction as omnipresent (everywhere). It can last a year inside at room temperature and survives freezing. Treatment is also survived by it with such common disinfectants as alcohol and iodine. Whether illness results or not depends on the resistance in the victim vs. the number of individual virus particles entering the body. Cats who survive are solidly immune to reinfection but can shed the virus for several weeks. Along with asymptomatic carriers, this results in repeated exposure in a population of cats. The continued exposure helps to boost resistance among cats by continuing to arouse their immune systems who have already acquired antibodies that are protective.
