Aziz Mehnaz, Janeczko Stephanie, Gupta Maya
Shelter Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®), New York, NY 10018, USA.
Strategy, Research and Development, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA®), New York, NY 10018, USA.
Animals (Basel). 2018 Jun 9;8(6):91. doi: 10.3390/ani8060091.
Feline relocation is used increasingly in animal welfare to decrease shelter euthanasia rates and increase positive outcomes. Concerns about infectious disease introduction and transmission are often expressed; however, little research has been conducted on even the baseline prevalence of infectious disease following relocation. This study, which collected data on 430 cats relocated through an established program over 7 months, evaluated the prevalence of upper respiratory infection (URI), feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) and dermatophytosis at one destination agency. The period prevalence was 25.8% for URI, 1.6% for FPV and 0.9% for dermatophytosis. Mixed-effects logistic regression was performed to investigate factors associated with URI. Younger age, increased time in transport, and increased length of stay at the destination agency were associated with increased URI prevalence following relocation. The findings of this study reveal that certain highly contagious and environmentally persistent infectious diseases, such as FPV and dermatophytosis, are uncommon following relocation in an established program; however, URI in relocated cats should be proactively managed. Animal welfare agencies can use this information to guide shelter and relocation operations and mitigate the impact of URI in relocated cats.
在动物福利领域，猫的重新安置越来越多地被用于降低收容所的安乐死率并增加积极结果。人们常常表达对引入和传播传染病的担忧；然而，即便对于重新安置后传染病的基线患病率，也几乎没有开展过研究。本研究收集了在7个月内通过一个既定项目重新安置的430只猫的数据，评估了一家接收机构中猫上呼吸道感染（URI）、猫泛白细胞减少症病毒（FPV）和皮肤真菌病的患病率。URI的期间患病率为25.8%，FPV为1.6%，皮肤真菌病为0.9%。进行了混合效应逻辑回归以调查与URI相关的因素。年龄较小、运输时间增加以及在接收机构的停留时间延长与重新安置后URI患病率增加相关。本研究结果表明，在一个既定项目中重新安置后，某些高传染性且在环境中持久存在的传染病，如FPV和皮肤真菌病并不常见；然而，对于重新安置的猫的URI应进行积极管理。动物福利机构可以利用这些信息来指导收容所和重新安置行动，并减轻URI对重新安置的猫的影响。
