(JP)Clinics to curb deadly viruses threatening rare cats

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http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20010704b7.htm

 

Clinics to curb deadly viruses threatening rare cats

 

FUKUOKA (Kyodo) Two temporary clinics will be set up

later this month in an effort to curb the spread of

deadly viruses hitting the Tsushima-yamaneko and the

Iriomote-yamaneko, two endangered wildcat species.

Environmentalists are becoming increasingly concerned

that the two species -- indigenous to Tsushima Island

in Nagasaki Prefecture and Iriomote Island in Okinawa

Prefecture -- are being pushed further toward

extinction by two fatal viruses.

 

These are a feline immunodeficiency virus and a virus

that causes feline leukemia.

 

The clinics will be set up at the initiative of a

group of veterinarians active in the eight prefectures

of Kyushu.

 

Groups of three volunteer vets will make trips to the

makeshift clinics -- rooms to be borrowed from public

facilities on the two islands -- once a month.

 

The clinic on Iriomote Island will open July 21, and

its counterpart on Tsushima will open July 25.

 

The vets will not directly approach the wildcats, but

will instead deal with house cats and strays, which

have a high chance of coming into contact with their

endangered wild cousins.

 

House cats and strays will be checked to see whether

they have become infected with potentially lethal

viruses.

 

The vets will also neuter them if necessary, according

to the veterinarian group.

 

A sampling of house cats and stray cats in Tsushima

recently showed that 22 percent of them were infected

with FIV, and two wildcats so far have also been found

to have contracted the virus.

 

The vets at the clinics will check for viruses and

parasites and -- upon owner consent -- neuter pet cats

and implant microchips containing such information as

owners' names and the date the surgery was performed,

for future identification.

 

If any of the animals are found to have contracted

FIV, the vets will call on owners to cooperate in

isolating the pet in question, according to the vet

group.

 

The two clinics will operate for two years.

 

Isao Kurauchi, head of the group, said each wildcat

species is estimated to have a population of just 100.

 

" Even if just 10 percent of the population becomes

infected, the effects will be disastrous. We also want

to increase awareness of the need to protect

endangered species. "

 

The Japan Times: July 4, 2001

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