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Panleukopenia virus infection is one of highly contagious disease in cat and can be fatal to the affected cat. It’s also known as “distemper disease” and the virus can survive for longer than one year in a suitable environtment. The name panleukopenia comes from the low white blood cells when doing complete blood count. This factor make drop the immunity system.

Penyebaran penyakit ini biasanya terjadi melalui sekreta kucing (feses atau urin) yang terinfeksi dan menularkan pada kucing yang sehat. Gejala klinis yang umum terjadi berupa muntah, diare, penurunan sel darah putih, hingga kejang-kejang. Hal ini disebabkan, virus ini menyerang sel pada saluran pencernaan, sumsum tulang, jaringan limfoid, dan system syaraf. Virus akan tetap berada dalam feses dan urin hewan yang sakit selama 6 minggu hingga masa recovery. Selain itu, virus juga akan menular pada hewan sehat melalui peralatan yang pernah dipakai kucing yang sakit seperti tempat makan, tempat minum, kandang, pakaian, tempat tidur, ataupun litterbox. Pada kucing yang hamil, virus juga dapat masuk ke janin melalui plasenta. Dan pinjal atau yang sering disebut dengan kutu kucing, dapat pula menularkan penyakit virus panleukopenia. Kucing yang paling tinggi resiko terkena penyakit ini adalah anak kucing dan kucing belum divaksinasi.

Cat can shed the virus in their secretion (feces and urine), nasal secretion, infected occur when susceptible cat come in contact to the secretion.The common clinical sign are vomiting, diarrhea, depression, weight loss, until neurological symptom (lack of coordination). The virus affects the rapidly dividing blood cell in the body, primarily the cells in the intestinal tract, bone marrow, lymphoid tissue, and neurogolical system. Virus will stay in faeces and urine og infected cat for six weeks untik recovery period. Food dishes, drinking bottle, bedding, cages, litter box, the hands or clothing of people who handle the infected cat may harbor the virus and transmit it to other cats. In pregnant cat, virus can transmit to foetus by placenta. Flea also transmit it to health cat. Kitten and unvaccinated cat are susceptible to panleukopenia virus.

Infected cat will get severe dehydration, result of vomiting and diarrhea, make low temperature of body (hypothermia). It can be fatal if there is no medical treatment. It’s why, if you find this clinical signs, pick up your cat to the animal clinic that near of you. Vet will ask about the symptoms at home and do physical examination. Vet commonly find fever, dehydration, strong faeces smell, and positive tension of stomach. Sometimes, there will be additional check to get real diagnose, such as using FPV Test kit. Routine laboratory test include complete blood count can help to know about the disease.
Treatmetn focuses on correcting dehydration by giving fluid therapy. If cat is in severe condition, it will need blood transfusion.Pengobatan penyakit infeksi virus panleukopenia yang dasar adalah pemberian cairan infus sebagai terapi supportif. Another medication include anti emetic (antinausea), antibiotic and Vitamin B-complex. Feeding a highly palatable canned food after vomiting stop, may help to improve their energy.



Prevention and mainly protection to this virus is getting vaccination due to good schedule in clinic. Because of there is attenuated panleukopenia virus in first vaccination such as tricat or tetracat vaccine that will give antibody to the virus. Environtmental control is needed to eliminate by using desinfectan such as bleeching in comparative to water 1:32. We should remind that prevention is the better way than curative, because this disease is so fatal to your cat.

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