DENVER (KKTV) – Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported that the first finding of rustrela virus, or “staggering disease”, in North America was found in a Colorado mountain lion in 2023.
CPW said in May 2023 a sick mountain lion from Douglas County who was unable to use its back legs was euthanized. Following an analysis of the mountain lion, they found out it was sick with rustela virus.
According to CPW, this disease is a mostly fatal neurologic system most typically seen in domestic cats.
Dr. Karen Fox, CPW Wildlife Pathologist, led a paper on the disease that said the diagnosis was challenging, and German researchers aided in the final diagnosis.
Fox stressed that scientists do not know how widespread the virus could be in cats and wildlife. In Europe, the virus has been seen in cats, rodents, a donkey, and marsupials.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Colorado State University veterinarians plan to continue looking for other cases.
“Now that we know what we’re looking for, it should be easier to find new cases if they are out there,” Fox said. “With continued collaboration, we plan to learn what we can from our colleagues in Europe while we continue to look for new cases of staggering disease here in Colorado.”
They ask anyone from the public who thinks they see a mountain lion struggling to walk or behaving abnormally to contact a CPW office to report the behavior.
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Publish date : 2024-07-16 21:38:00
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