Feline coronavirus kills 300,000 cats in Cyprus – and many more could die if the strain reaches Britain
- Hundreds of thousands of cats have died from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)
- Strain does not pose a threat to humans but can be fatal for cats if untreated
A strain of Coronavirus has killed more than 300,000 cats on the island of Cyprus, and could be responsible for the deaths of many more if it reaches Britain.
Both stray and domestic cats have been killed by feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a coronavirus strain, since January. It does not pose a threat to humans but can be fatal for cats, if left untreated.
Cats are a common site in Cyprus, also known as the ‘island of cats’, which is home to the earliest evidence of the animal’s domestication.
Many of the cats on the eastern Mediterranean island are strays, and it’s not uncommon for them to wander into people’s gardens, sit in restaurants and loiter near garbage bins.
The number of cats dying from the outbreak is said to be significantly higher than the 107 cases of FIP officially reported by the agriculture ministry in the southern part of the island.
Domesticated cats have been quarantined at clinics in a bid to slow down the spread of the virus, while volunteers and vets attempt to treat animals showing symptoms.
Veterinarian Kostis Larkou tends to a cat suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), at clinic in Nicosia
Feline infectious peritonitis has rapidly spread across Cyprus in recent months, says veterinarian Larkou
Aggelika Agiomamitis administers eye drops to a blind cat at one of the largest cemeteries in Nicosia amid the new strain of coronavirus
Domesticated cats have been quarantined at clinics in a bid to slow down the spread of the virus
Ancient cat history
Cypriots have a long history with cats.
Legend has it that a Roman empress, Helena, first brought the furry creatures to the island in a bid to do away with poisonous snakes around 1,700 years ago.
But archaeological evidence of cats’ domestication on the island dates back even further that anywhere else in the world – to 9,500 years ago in the village of Shillourokambos, where the remains of a cat and a human buried together were found.
The bond between cats and humans has continued throughout the millennia, with tourists often seeing cat houses on the side of the roads, and stray animals welcomed into homes and restaurants.
Several people who feed the strays have noticed a decline in the number of cats on the island, with some even finding corpses on the streets.
Dinos Agiomamitis, Head of Cats PAWS Cyprus and vice-president of Cyprus Voice for Animals states that 300,000 cats have died since January.
He estimates a third of the cats living to the south of the island have died as a result of the virus, with symptoms including fever, abdominal swelling, weakness and aggressiveness.
He added part of the challenge around documenting cases was that, with so many strays on the cat-loving island, diagnosing and tallying up every infection is almost impossible.
Dr Demetris Epaminondas, vice-president of the Pancyprian Veterinary Association, added that: ‘Local veterinarians have been reporting an alarming increase in FIP cases, which started in the capital city of Nicosia in January and spread throughout the whole island within three to four months’.
In a blog post, he added that this is the first ‘outbreak of this extent’ to ever be reported.
A second outbreak is also thought to be affecting the cat population is nearby Lebanon, Israel and Turkey.
Prof Danièlle Gunn-Moore, a specialist in feline medicine at the University of Edinburgh, told the Telegraph: ‘There is already some evidence – albeit anecdotal – that it may already be in Turkey, Lebanon and potentially Israel.
‘If this virus gets to the UK it could cause many of our cats to die. It would be heart-breaking. We must take this seriously.’
Dinos Agiomamitis, Head of Cats PAWS Cyprus and vice-president of Cyprus Voice for Animals states that 300,000 cats have died since January
It is estimated that a third of the cats living to the south of the island have died as a result of the virus, with symptoms including fever, abdominal swelling, weakness and aggressiveness
Veterinarian Kostis Larkou tends to a cat suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
Part of the challenge around documenting cases was that, with so many strays on the cat-loving island, diagnosing and tallying up every infection is almost impossible
Two treatment options are being considered – a drug called remdesivir, used for Covid-19 and closely related to GS-441524, and molnupiravir, a antiviral drug used to treat the illness in humans
Demetris Epaminondas, vice president of the Pancyprian Veterinary Association, has said the ‘only way to stop the disease is medical treatment’.
Two treatment options are being considered – a drug called remdesivir, used for Covid-19 and closely related to GS-441524, and molnupiravir, a antiviral drug used to treat the illness in humans.
Remdesivir is approved for use in animals in the UK and to be imported to Cyprus but the cost – between £2,500 and £6,000 for a cat weighing between 3kg and 4kg, is making the government consider a second option.
It is estimated that molnupiravir would cost around £170 per animal, but an application by the vets association to authorise its use for cats was rejected in May, because the government has argued that human drugs cannot be imported into the country for veterinary care.
In the absence of government approved drugs, Dr Epaminondas has claimed there is a ‘flourishing’ black market of cheap, unlicensed products.
One person, who asked to remain anonymous, said: ‘We bought our medicines on the black market online, or from Facebook groups. But we keep our suppliers secret so that we can continue to treat our animals’.
Vasiliki Mani, 38, a member of several animal welfare organisations, is demanding a swift solution. In January, she spent 3,600 euros (just over £3,000) to treat two stray cats with FIP.
‘I have spent all my savings,’ she said. ‘If FIP continues to spread, Cyprus will become the island of dead cats’.
The agriculture ministry said it was examining all possible means of addressing the issue through ‘various therapeutic preparations available on the European market’.
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