Investigating a Deadly Viral Disease of Cats

SUMMARY: Researchers will investigate the incidence of “staggering disease” occurrence in the United States.

THE PROBLEM: In May of 2023, a sick mountain lion was reported to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (Colorado, USA). The one-year-old female mountain lion was skinny, trembling, and struggling to move. Her back legs were wobbly, and she fell over when trying to walk. Wildlife officers humanely euthanized the mountain lion, and wildlife health professionals examined the body to determine the cause of the behavior. This animal became the first recognized case of staggering disease outside of Europe. In Europe, staggering disease has been seen in domestic cats for over 50 years. Cats with staggering disease have symptoms like the Colorado mountain lion, with trouble walking, falling over, and sometimes unable to use their back legs. The disease has no treatment, and cats with staggering disease either die from the disease or are humanely euthanized. Cats might contract the virus from eating infected mice, but researchers aren’t sure. The cause of staggering disease is a virus that was only discovered in 2022, and researchers are still working to better understand the virus and how it causes disease. When staggering disease appeared in the wild mountain lion in Colorado, it came with a lot of questions. How did the virus get to the United States? Do we need to be worried about domestic cats getting sick from it? 

THE PROJECT: The team will conduct nationwide surveillance for the disease. They will identify and test suspect cases of staggering disease using various laboratory techniques. In addition, the team will investigate the role of small rodents as possible reservoir hosts for the virus, as has been observed in Europe.

POTENTIAL IMPACT: This work will help wildlife biologists and veterinarians understand how common the disease is in the United States and understand the risk the disease poses for our domestic cats.