Alachua County Animal Resources pausing cat intake due to highly contagious disease outbreak

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. - Alachua County Animal Resources is pausing all cat intakes for the next week due to a disease outbreak at the facility, the county announced Tuesday. 

Feline panleukopenia, also known as feline distemper, is a "highly contagious, potentially fatal disease of cats caused by the feline panleukopenia virus," according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. All cats are at risk for contracting the disease, but there's a greater risk for kittens, immunocompromised cats and invaccinated cats. 

"We truly want to ensure the health and wellbeing of our feline population, and by closely monitoring that population, we hope to re-open cat intakes quickly by taking these extra steps now," said Animal Resources Director Julie Johnson.

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Johnson added that the best way to prevent feline panleukopenia is to vaccinate your cat. 

Anyone seeking more information can contact Johnson at 352-264-6890. Click here for more information about feline panleukopenia.