New viruses?

[nanamouse]

Has anybody outside the southeastern US rescue community come across what seems to be a new (vaccine resistant) strain of Calci virus and worse, Panluek? Seems to be running rampant here suddenly, one of the rescues that pulls from our shelter is losing most of their kittens, and almost all that have multiple cats are dealing with household epidemics. Vet school in Athens GA is working on it, but for now it seems that Mother Nature has gotten tired of human inability to fix the over population problem and has taken it into her own impersonal hands.

[special]

Oh my gosh. I don't know anything about it, can you share some links with information? This is something I want to know more about.

For anyone who doesn't know 'panleuk' is panleukopenia also known as feline distemper and is usually fatal.

So vaccination is not protecting against this new virus?

[nanamouse]

It seems that vaccinated cats are having milder cases of the possible Calci virus, but the new panluek it does not seem to be affected by prior vaccines. Of course that is hitting shelter kittens, who have no immune systems and are only just starting their vaccines as they are rescued. I will see if I can find the links the Project Purr puller preferred to in our FB discussion. Right now it is just mass confusion, best as I can tell. They are reporting a new Bartonella in W VA, that sounds like what we are dealing with in GA, may be that not Calci. It is for sure going to affect the rescues ability to pull, when they expected a $50.00 vet bill per cat and it is $500.00 to save one.....

[special]

Oh, this is so scary! Are many of your own cats sick, Jennie?

[nanamouse]

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...MTfpFXKfDj2ujg

Special, here is a link to the official info on the virus. I was too busy all week with 17 sick cats to come back and post. The epidemic I always feared, come to life. All but 2 recovered with antibiotic treatment, one of those 2 died almost immediately, the other is still fighting. It seems to finally be over, other than being super clingy every one but Cuddlebug is back to normal.
I am about afraid to volunteer at the shelter for a while, can't imagine where else my indoor only cats could have gotten it. I had brought a stray kitten home, but he was isolated until he went into foster, and his furever family say he is healthy, so I doubt it came from him. Doesn't seem to be the kind of bug that has asymptomatic carriers.

[special]

My gosh I can't even imagine what you've been going through. I am so sorry. Thank you for the link to the article. Praying this is behind you permanently now.

[katiem]

We haven't seen it where I am yet, but we had some hard core calici issues earlier this year (not my cats, cats at work). Scary stuff