Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2004 Oct;6(5):287-96.
doi: 10.1016/j.jfms.2003.11.005.

Prevalence of infectious diseases in feral cats in Northern Florida

Brian J Luria  1 , Julie K Levy, Michael R Lappin, Edward B Breitschwerdt, Alfred M Legendre, Jorge A Hernandez, Shawn P Gorman, Irene T Lee
Affiliations

Prevalence of infectious diseases in feral cats in Northern Florida

Brian J Luria et al. J Feline Med Surg. 2004 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives of this study were to determine prevalence of infection in feral cats in Northern Florida with a select group of infectious organisms and to determine risk factors for infection. Blood samples or sera from 553 cats were tested with a panel of antibody, antigen or PCR assays. Male cats were at higher risk for FIV, Mycoplasma haemofelis, and M. haemominutum. Infection with either FeLV or FIV was associated with increased risk for coinfection with the other retrovirus, M. haemofelis, or M. haemominutum. Bartonella henselae had the highest prevalence and was the only organism that did not have any associated risk for coinfection with other organisms. Feral cats in this study had similar or lower prevalence rates of infections than those published for pet cats in the United States. Thus, feral cats assessed in this study appear to be of no greater risk to human beings or other cats than pet cats.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Adal K.A., Cockerell C.J., Petri W.A. Cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, and other infections due to rochalimaea, New England Journal of Medicine, 330, 1994, 1509–1515. - PubMed
    1. Akucewich L.H., Philman K., Clark A., Gillespie J., Kunkle G., Nicklin C.F., Greiner E.C. Prevalence of ectoparasites in a population of feral cats from north central Florida during the summer, Veterinary Parasitology, 109, 2002, 129–139. - PubMed
    1. Atkins C.E., DeFrancesco T.C., Coats J.R., Sidley J.A., Keene B. Heartworm infection in cats: 50 cases (1985–1997), Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 217, 2000, 355–358. - PubMed
    1. Atkins C.E., DeFrancesco T.C., Miller M.W., Meurs K.M., Keene B. Prevalence of heartworm infection in cats with signs of cardiorespiratory abnormalities, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 212, 1998, 517–520. - PubMed
    1. AVMA position statement on abandoned and feral cats, 1996. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 209, 1042–1043.

Publication types

MeSH terms