Considered an emerging disease, “Bobcat Fever” (Cytauxzoon felis) is caused by a blood parasite that affects cats. Bobcats are a known reservoir the organism, and in some cases infected domestic cats have died of the disease. Found originally in the Southeastern U.S., C. felis has been slowly moving north with the tick vectors that carry it.
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What we know about cytauxzoon is rapidly evolving as scientists do more research. We don’t have much information about how it impacts the bobcat population, or how often the disease is transmitted from wild cats to pets. Domestic cats were thought to be the dead-end hosts of the parasite, but there is evidence they can recover from infection and may become carriers. New medications and more rapid diagnosis have improved survival rates from below 25% to closer to 60%.
The CWHL is working with the parasitology lab at the AHDC to develop a PCR (DNA based) test for Cytauxzoon felis. With tick samples from across the state and staff actively collecting bobcat tissues for evaluation, including using our tissue bank, we are digging in to confirm if it is present in New York, its distribution throughout the state, and how much crossover there is between bobcats and domestic cats.