Tetanus toxemia is caused by a specific toxin, or poison, that blocks the transmission of inhibitory nerve signals, resulting in severe contractions of muscles and exaggerated muscle responses to stimuli. The toxin is produced by Clostridium tetani bacteria in dead tissue. Almost all mammals are susceptible to this disease, although cats seem much more resistant than other domestic animals.
Clostridium tetani
Q fever (coxiellosis) is an infection caused by Coxiella burnetii bacteria that rarely causes noticeable illness in animals. It can be passed from animals to people, however. Transmission to people usually occurs by direct or indirect contact with the bacteria that are shed in large numbers in the placenta and birth fluids of ruminants such as cattle, sheep, and goats. Other wild and domestic animals, including cats, can also play a role in the sp
Plague is a sudden and sometimes fatal bacterial disease caused by Yersinia pestis. It is transmitted primarily by the fleas of rats and other rodents. This is the disease, often called the Black Death, that swept through Asia and then Europe in the 14th century. Over 25 million people (one third of the population) died of this disease in Europe between 1347 and 1352. Devastating outbreaks of this disease recurred with regularity throughout the ne
Peritonitis is inflammation of the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity. It is a serious and often fatal condition. Peritonitis may be short- or longterm, localized or widespread. Most commonly it occurs due to contamination of the peritoneal cavity (for example by perforation of the abdominal cavity by a foreign object, ruptured bladder or gallbladder, the splitting open of an abdominal wound closure, or rupture of the intestine due to the presence of a swall
Nocardiosis is a longterm, noncontagious disease caused by the bacteria of the genus Nocardia. These bacteria are found commonly in soil, decaying vegetation, compost, dust, freshwater, saltwater, and other environmental sources. They enter the body through contamination of wounds (including those caused by punctures, foreign objects, or cat fights), ingestion, or by inhalation. In cats, the disease is often associated with an underlying immune sy
Melioidosis is an uncommon bacterial infection of humans and animals. The disease-causing agent is Burkholderia pseudomallei, which occurs in the soil and water throughout southeast Asia, northern Australia, and the South Pacific. The disease is also seen sporadically in other temperate regions. Melioidosis outbreaks have coincided with heavy rainfall, flooding, major excavations, and disturbances in plumbing that result in contamination of water
Lyme disease, which is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted through the bite of a tick, affects domestic animals and humans. At least 4 known species of ticks can transmit Lyme disease. However, the great majority of Lyme disease transmissions are due to the bite of a very tiny tick commonly called the deer tick, or black-legged tick. The scientific name of the tick species involved on the west coast of the US is
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria in the genus Leptospira. The disease affects virtually all mammals, including people, and has a broad range of effects, from mild infections with no signs to multiple-organ failure and death. In the past, experts believed that cats were not susceptible to infection, but it is now thought that the bacteria might play a role in longterm kidney disease. As such, cats are unlikely to show the signs of
Leishmaniosis (leishmaniasis) is a longterm, severe, protozoal (parasitic) disease of humans, dogs, and other animals. Dogs serve as the major source of the infection (the "reservoir host"), and cats are rarely infected. The single-celled parasite is transmitted through the bite of a sand fly that has previously bitten an infected animal or person. In people, it is mostly a disease of young children, especially those who are malnourished or have suppressed immune sys
Glanders is a contagious, short- or longterm, usually fatal disease of horses caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. The disease is characterized by the development of a series of ulcerating nodules. The nodules are most commonly found in the upper respiratory tract, lungs, and skin. Humans, cats, dogs, and other species are susceptible, but infections in cats are uncommon. Infections in humans and cats are often fatal. Glanders is one of th