Rustrela virus is marked by animals staggering, having trouble walking or behaving abnormally. The disease is found in domestic cats, rodents and other animals in Europe. The case began in May 2023 and has now been confirmed in the Colorado mountain lion.
For most veterinarians, Rustrela virus would not be on a differential diagnosis list if a companion cat presented with profound neurological signs. Wildlife officials don’t yet know how widespread the virus is in domestic cats or wildlife.
Source: The Denver Post, July 17, 2024. Link.
Also see: Rustrela Virus in wild Puma concolor with staggering disease, CDC, Volume 30, Number 8—August 2024. Link.
“Considering its wide host range in Europe, rustrela virus should be considered as a cause for neurologic diseases among mammal species in North America” – CDC