A Ramsey County domestic female cat was confirmed to have tularemia on July 1, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported Wednesday. The cat is an indoor/outdoor pet in St. Paul's Midway Neighborhood.
The cat went missing for five days and when it returned it had signs of lethargy, anorexia, eye discharge, and weight loss. A veterinarian examined her the next day and recorded a fever of 105.5°F. The cat was treated with antibiotics and sent home to recover. The cat has since responded well to treatment.
Tularemia can be transmitted by ticks, flies and wild animals. Keep a close eye on your pet if they've been in contact with rabbits, squirrels or other rodents. Call your veterinarian if they've been in contact with a wild animal and appear sick.
People can also get tularemia from infected animals or ticks, and it is not transmitted person-to-person. Symptoms can appear in 3-5 days, but may take up to 14 days to appear. Symptoms in people include sudden onset of fever, chills, joint and muscle pain, headache, and nausea. Find out more about this zoonotic disease's impact on people from the Minnesota Department of Health.
Cats are the most commonly infected domestic animals in Minnesota, and Tularemia has been confirmed in cats from rural, urban, and suburban environments. While outdoor or indoor/outdoor animals are at highest risk, tularemia has been identified in indoor cats with no obvious exposures.
Categories: Minnesota, General