Plague confirmed in a cat

LARAMIE and CHEYENNE — Confirmation via lab testing that an Albany County cat has died of plague has state health officials cautioning pet owners statewide, including in the Cheyenne area. 
The infected animal was mostly an outdoor cat in the rural area, as opposed to being from the part of the county that includes the city of Laramie, the Wyoming Department of Health reported in a Thursday news release. 
WDH noted the animal lived primarily in outbuildings. Other cats in a group in the same area also have died over the past several months, according to WDH, “indicating likely spread of plague.” 
The warning comes as the Cheyenne Animal Shelter has seen several cats get sick with feline panleukopenia. 
The situations in Cheyenne and in Albany County are separate, representatives of the shelter and WDH told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. 
“Plague is a serious bacterial infection that can be deadly for pets and people if not treated as soon as possible with antibiotics,” said Courtney Tillman, epidemiologist with WDH, in the department’s written announcement. “The disease can be passed to humans from ill animals and by fleas coming from infected animals. We are letting people know of the potential threat.” 
Regarding the announcement, WDH’s spokesperson told the WTE that “people in Albany County may want to know there is current confirmation of plague in their area.” 
Additionally, the spokesperson wrote in an email, “people anywhere in Wyoming should be aware that plague is a potential threat.” 
At the animal shelter in Cheyenne, various steps are being taken to treat cats who are infected with a different disease. 
Feline panleukopenia, also known as feline distemper or feline parvo, has been found among cats there, and the goal is to help prevent continued spread within the shelter’s building, officials from the organization said. 
The director of medicine at the Cheyenne Animal Shelter has explained that “we are dealing with very different symptoms” than occur with plague, wrote a spokesperson for the organization in an email to the WTE. 
The shelter, the spokesperson added, has “several confirmed cases of feline panleukopenia” that were detected after administering tests. 
Meanwhile, in Albany County, there have been no human illnesses associated with the current situation, WDH reported. 
A human case of pneumonic plague was reported in a Fremont County person last September, according to the new WDH announcement. In that case, the person had exposure to a sick outdoor cat. 
WDH’s Tillman said the disease is rare in humans, and is naturally found in the western U.S. among populations of rodents, spread mostly by infected fleas. 
“It is safe to assume a risk for plague exists all around our state,” she said. 
Because fleas are often the main vehicle of spreading plague to pets, the state health agency has tips for pet owners:  

Use repellent if exposure to fleas is possible during activities such as camping, hiking or working outdoors. Products containing DEET can be applied to skin, as well as to clothing.  

Keep fleas off indoor and outdoor pets by applying flea control products. Animals that roam freely outdoors are more likely to come into contact with plague-infected animals or fleas.  

Avoid unnecessary exposure to rodents, including avoiding areas with unexplained rodent die-offs and rodent carcasses. 

If pets become sick, take them to a veterinarian.  

Don’t allow dogs or cats that roam free to share beds with people.  

Reduce rodent habitats around the home, workplace and recreational areas by removing brush, rock piles, junk, cluttered firewood and possible rodent food supplies.  

Wear gloves and a mask if handling potentially infected or dead animals to prevent contact between your skin and the plague bacteria and to prevent inhaling the plague bacteria. 

While the WDH is warning people about plague spreading in a rural area of the county, there haven’t been any noticeable issues with pet health in the city of Laramie, said Elena Vargas, office manager for Laramie Animal Welfare Society. 
Vargas said LAWS hasn’t noticed any unusual or alarming health issues with pets the shelter has come into contact with. 
“Definitely not, thank goodness,” she told the Laramie Boomerang by phone. 
Other than a bout of feline pink eye, “we’ve seen nothing deadly to our cats since I’ve been here.” 
The potential for pets to catch and spread plague is “always something that’s in the back of our minds,” Vargas said. 
She said LAWS takes measures to reduce the risk of local animals catching and/or spreading disease and recommends pet owners do the same. 
“We take measures no matter where we take an animal,” she said. “We always clean everything the animal touches. We have a veterinary-grade cleaner, and we spray everything down.” 
Plague symptoms in pets can include enlarged lymph glands; swelling in the neck, face or around the ears; fever; chills; lack of energy; coughing; vomiting; diarrhea and dehydration. 
Symptoms in people can include fever, swollen and tender lymph glands, extreme exhaustion, headache, chills, coughing, difficulty breathing, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. 
More information about plague is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at cdc.gov/ plague/.
 
This story was published on Sept. 2, 2022.