Protected Tsushima leopard cat could have fatal coronavirus

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Protected Tsushima leopard cat could have fatal coronavirus

 

12/28/2000

Kyodo News

Copyright Kyodo News International Inc. 2000

 

NAGASAKI, Dec. 28 --

 

An adult male Tsushima leopard cat, a rare, protected species living

on Tsushima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture in southwestern Japan, appears

to have contracted a type of coronavirus, the center said Thursday.

Officials at the Environment Agency's Wildlife Conservation Center of

Tsushima said one version of the virus can lead to the fatal feline

infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). The disease has no counterpart in

humans.

 

The center has isolated the infected cat since coronaviruses are

highly contagious and is studying ways to prevent an outbreak of the

virus, the officials said.

 

The infected animal was found Wednesday morning in a trap used to

snare wild cats on the grounds of a private house.

 

Although the cat, some 82 centimeters in length and 3.8 kilograms in

weight, appeared to be in good health with no external injuries, blood

samples tests positive for the virus.

 

It is the second Tsushima leopard cat ever to test positive for a

coronavirus. The first case was detected in 1996.

 

No cases of FIPV have been reported so far.

 

 

 

Folder Name: Asia Conservation

Relevance Score on Scale of 100: 98

 

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