Cat flu is the common name for a feline upper

respiratory disease Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchi, ...

, which can be caused by one or more possible

pathogen In biology, a pathogen (, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of"), in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a Germ theory of d ...

s: # Feline herpes virus, causing feline viral rhinotracheitis (cat

common cold The common cold, or the cold, is a virus, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the Respiratory epithelium, respiratory mucosa of the human nose, nose, throat, Paranasal sinuses, sinuses, and larynx. ...

; this is the disease most associated with the "cat flu" misnomer), #

Feline calicivirus Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a virus of the family ''Caliciviridae'' that causes disease in cats. It is one of the two important viral causes of respiratory infection in cats, the other being feline herpesvirus. FCV can be isolated from about 5 ...

, # '' Bordetella bronchiseptica'' (cat kennel cough), or # '' Chlamydia felis'' (

chlamydia Chlamydia, or more specifically a chlamydia infection, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Chlamydia trachomatis''. Most people who are infected have no symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they may occur only several w ...

Spread

Cat flu is spread much the same way as " human flu": direct contact with others who are infected, generally through saliva, tears, or discharge from the eyes or nose. There is also the possibility of indirect spreading though contamination of food bowls, bedding, litter, or human hands. Even after recovery, many cats will remain carriers of the virus and have the potential to spread it to other cats. To reduce the spread, veterinarians recommend vaccination of kittens. Already-infected cats must usually be isolated from all other cats for at least two weeks, and all objects touched by the cat must usually be decontaminated afterwards, including litter boxes, food bowls, and human hands.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Cat flu is typically diagnosed by a professional recognizing the common symptoms. Despite the variety of pathogens that may be responsible, some symptoms are generally considered to be shared, including sneezing, nasal congestion,

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or Madras eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness ...

, and discharge from the nose or eyes. More rare symptoms, meanwhile, include: a loss of appetite,

lethargy Lethargy is a state of tiredness, sleepiness, weariness, fatigue, sluggishness, or lack of energy. It can be accompanied by depression, decreased motivation, or apathy. Lethargy can be a normal response to inadequate sleep, overexertion, overw ...

, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and

blepharospasm Blepharospasm is a neurological disorder characterized by intermittent, involuntary spasms and contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscle, orbicularis oculi (eyelid) muscles around both eyes. These result in abnormal twitching or blinking, an ...

(squinting). In extreme cases where symptoms do not subside, veterinarians may run additional tests including chest x-rays,

blood test A blood test is a medical laboratory, laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a hypodermic needle, or via fingerprick. Multiple tests for specific blood components, such as a glucose ...

s, or bacterial cultures.

Treatment

Cat flu is typically treated at home and generally focuses on the animal's symptoms. Currently, there are no

antiviral drug Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Antiviral drugs are a class of antimicrobials ...

s to treat cat flu, but antibacterial (

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...

) drugs can be prescribed if symptoms are long-lasting or severe. Veterinarians may also prescribe

eye drop Eye drops or eyedrops are liquid drops applied directly to the surface of the eye usually in small amounts such as a single drop or a few drops. Eye drops usually contain saline to match the salinity of the eye. Drops containing only saline ...

s or pain medication to aid the healing process. Other common home remedies include exposing the cat to warm, humid air (such as through a humidifier); gentle face washing to remove nasal discharge; and feeding the cat strong-smelling foods (due to the respiratory infections often impacting a cat's sense of smell, and by extension its appetite). If a cat is suffering from excessive lethargy or dehydration, veterinarians may recommend hospital stays and, in extreme cases,

appetite stimulant An orexigenic, or appetite stimulant, is a drug, hormone, or chemical compound, compound that increases appetite and may induce hyperphagia. This can be a medication or a naturally occurring neuropeptide hormone, such as ghrelin, orexin or neuropep ...

s or the use of

intravenous Intravenous therapy (abbreviated as IV therapy) is a medical technique that administers fluids, medications and nutrients directly into a person's vein. The intravenous route of administration is commonly used for rehydration or to provide nutr ...

catheters or

feeding tube A feeding tube is a medical device used to provide nutrition to people who cannot obtain nutrition by mouth, are unable to swallow safely, or need nutritional supplementation. The state of being fed by a feeding tube is called gavage, enteral f ...

In society

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, the term ''cat flu'' is also used to refer to canine parvovirus; however, that illness primarily affects dogs, though at times also mammals such as cats, skunks, and foxes.Holmes, Edward C.; Parrish, Colin R.; Dubovi, Edward J.; Shearn-Bochsler, Valerie I.; Gerhold, Richard W.; Brown, Justin D.; Fox, Karen A.; Kohler, Dennis J.; Allison, Andrew B. (2013-02-15). "Frequent Cross-Species Transmission of Parvoviruses among Diverse Carnivore Hosts". ''Journal of Virology''. 87 (4): 2342–2347. doi:10.1128/JVI.02428-12.

ISSN An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit to uniquely identify a periodical publication (periodical), such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs a ...

0022-538X. PMC 3571474. PMID 23221559 In the 2013 psychological horror film '' Escape from Tomorrow'', there is a fictional strain of cat flu surrounding the

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...

parks, which a Disneyland nurse claims one "could be a host fand not even know it". The main protagonist Jim later experiences these symptoms in the end of the film, such as constipation, vomiting up massive hairballs and blood, and gradual weakening of his body, before his wife discovers his corpse the next morning with cat eyes and a grinning face.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cat Flu Animal viral diseases Cat diseases