FIP has been diagnosed in jaguar, mountain lion, and lynx. FIV leads to chronic infections of the mouth, upper respiratory tract, intestinal tract, eyes, and skin. Currently no vaccine or cure is available. FIV has been found in the endangered Florida panther and bobcat. Congested cats can't smell and often won't eat, so death results from starvation or dehydration.
Transmission is via aerosol contact between cats.
These viruses are extremely stable in the environment, so transmission via inanimate objects is common. Other clinical signs include fever, mouth ulcers, eye infections, blindness, lameness and diarrhea. People who contract this disease sometimes require treatment which may include antibiotics, analgesics, bed rest, and heat applied to painful lymph nodes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cat-scratch fever, acquired from cats infected by fleas, affects about 22,000 people each year, of which at least 2,000 people need hospital care. This disease can cause encephalitis in young children and death in individuals with compromised immune systems.