An animal shelter in Albuquerque, N.M., was forced to euthanize 28 of 78 cats after an outbreak of panleukopenia, which shelter officials feared would spread to every cat in the facility.
According to a report in the Albuquerque Journal, the first case of the feline disease was discovered about two weeks ago.
When we got to six cases, I said, We need to take some steps to stop this, Kay Duffin, a veterinarian at the shelter, told the local newspaper. Euthanasia was the final effort taken to contain the outbreak.
Officials report no new cases, but are watching the animals closely. Meanwhile, the East Side shelter stopped all cat adoptions until officials were convinced they'd stopped the disease.
There are no medications to combat the disease, according to Duffin. Vaccines are the best protection, and all cats that come into the shelter are vaccinated; it takes two weeks for the innoculation to take effect.
Cats are still available for adoption at the citys West Side shelter, where the disease has not been found, the newspaper reported.
Posted: March 7, 2006, 3 p.m. EST