Mad cow you say? Try cat, tiger, ocelot, puma (you name it)--spongiform encephalopathies--from the UK government

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http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/bse/bse-science/level-4-othertses.html#fse

Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy

FSE was first identified in Britain in 1990. Since then there have been 87 cases

in Great Britain, one in Northern Ireland, one in Norway and one in

Liechtenstein. FSE is not an easy disease to study. Although Britain has a large

cat population they would not normally have been subjected to close neurological

examination in the past. Nevertheless, sufficient numbers of FSE cases have been

seen and investigated to permit an association with BSE to be made. Obtaining

lifetime feeding history for cats is not easy, so although all have eaten foods

that would be expected to contain specified bovine offals, no particular type of

food can be implicated.

The epidemic in cats is often thought to be a useful model for past human

exposure to BSE. The number of feline cases has declined dramatically.

Although MAFF has not historically held responsibility for investigating

disease, other than rabies, in domestic pets, most of the information gathered

about FSE in domestic cats and zoo animals has been provided through the good

will of owners and veterinary practitioners. Laboratory diagnosis of a

spongiform encephalopathy in any species has however been notifiable since

November 1994, thus ensuring that cases would not be missed.

Interestingly, when brain tissue from some of the early cats identified

identified as having FSE, was inoculated into mice, the pattern of incubation

periods and lesion profiles in the mice was indistinguishable from that produced

by BSE.

In exotic cats there have now been nine cases in cheetahs (three were diagnosed

abroad but originated in Britain), three in pumas, three in ocelots, two in

tigers and two in lions.

In October 1998 the simultaneous occurrence of spongiform encephalopathy in a

man and his pet cat was reported. The report from Italy noted that the cat did

not display the same clinical features as FSE cases previously seen. Indeed, the

presence of a new type of FSE was suggested. The man was diagnosed as having

sporadic CJD, and neither case (man nor cat) appeared to be affected by a

BSE-related condition.

References:

Zanusso-G, Nardelli-E ti-A Fabrizi-G-M Ferrari-S i-A Desimone-F

Rizutto-N Monaco-S. Simultaneous occurrence of spongiform encephalopathy in a

man and his cat in Italy. LANCET, 1998 V352, N9134, OCT 3, Pp 1116-1117.

Pearson G. R. et al. 1992. Feline spongiform encephalopathy: fibril and PrP

studies. Veterinary Record. 131. 307-310.

Wyatt. J. M. et al. 1991. Naturally occurring scrapie-like spongiform

encephalopathy in five domestic cats. Veterinary Record. 129. 233.

Gruffydd- T. J. et al. 1991. Feline spongiform encephalopathy. J. Small

Animal Practice. 33. 471-476.

Willoughby K. 1992. Spongiform encephalopathy in a captive puma (Felis

concolor). Veterinary Record. 131. 431-434.

Meryl Nass, MD

H 207 276-5092

W 207 288-5082 ext 220 or pager 441

C 207 522-5229