Emily Chan
Recently, a deadly virus was discovered in a mountain lion in Colorado. It is the first case of a mountain lion infected with the rustrela virus in the United States. The germ targets the brains of cats and causes what is known as staggering disease.
Last year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials were notified of a wild mountain lion in a residential area in Douglas County, Colorado.
The cat was female and around one year old. It was displaying strange behavior that suggested it was ill. A homeowner in the area managed to capture a video of the sick cat.
The mountain lion’s hind legs had gone limp, so it was forced to drag itself across the ground with its front legs. It also appeared to be depressed but still responded to stimuli. Officials tranquilized the animal and then euthanized it with a gunshot to the chest to avoid damaging neurologic tissues.
A genetic analysis of the cat’s brain and spinal tissue revealed that it had been infected with rustrela virus, or Rubivirus strelense.
Scientists have been aware of rustrela for several years. For example, in 2020, researchers discovered its presence in animals at a German zoo that had been showing signs of neurological issues.
Staggering disease is rare, but since the 1970s, it has been known to affect domesticated and wild cats throughout Europe.
The latest case is the first U.S. report of rustrela virus and staggering disease among felines. There is still a lot that experts don’t know about the fatal illness. Researchers involved with the case found that the virus in the Colorado mountain lion is genetically distinct from the variants in Europe.
It is possible that the virus is already endemic in parts of the U.S. It seems that rustrela has the ability to infect a diverse range of mammals, but whether or not the virus can sicken humans is unclear.
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