Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium. The disease affects practically all species of vertebrates, and, before control measures were adopted, was a major disease of humans and domestic animals. Signs and lesions are generally similar in the various species. Tuberculosis is uncommon in cats in North America.
There are several species of bacteria that cause tuberculosis. Each type is
Trichinellosis is a parasitic disease that can be transmitted to people. It is caused by a type of worm known as a nematode. The name of the disease comes from the scientific name for the worm, Trichinella spiralis. Humans become infected when they eat undercooked infected meat, usually pork or bear, although other meats can also be responsible. Natural infections occur in wild meat-eating animals; most mammals are susceptible.
Toxoplasmosis is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite that infects humans and other warm-blooded animals. It has been found worldwide. Wild and domestic felines (members of the cat family) are the only definitive hosts of the parasite. Infected cats can transmit the disease to humans and other animals.
There are 3 infectious stages of Toxoplasma gondii: tachyzoites (rapidly multipl
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