Diseases affecting cats and dogs in Africa
 
Animal health FeLV Ag- Feline leukemia virus
  FeLV is a serious disease in cats, caused by a retro virus. It is transmitted via saliva or nasal secretions. If not defeated by the animal’s immune system, the virus can be lethal. There is currently no known cure for infection. The virus is highly contagious, with kittens under 4 months of age especially susceptible to infection. Kittens can contracted it from their mother while in utero. Infection is far higher in city cats, than in rural cats due to the amount of contact the cats have with each other. While FeLV causes immuno-suppression in pet cats, and there is also evidence for existence of the virus in larger wild cat populations such as Lynx, Cheetah, and Lion.
Animal healthFIV Ab - Feline immunodeficiency virus
 Feline AIDS is a lentivirus that affects domesticated housecats worldwide. About 11% of cats worldwide are infected with FIV. It is transmitted through deep bite wound and mucosal surfaces such as those in the mouth, rectum, and vagina. FIV attacks the immune system of cats, much like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the immune system of human beings. FIV infects many cell types in its host, including CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and macrophages. FIV eventually leads to debilitation of the immune system in its feline hosts by the infection and exhaustion of T-helper (CD4+) cells. FIV infects other feline species, and in fact is endemic in some large wild cats, such as African lions. These species do not necessarily exhibit symptoms due to resistance developed over time.
Animal healthCPV Ag - Canine parvovirus (catflu)
 Canine parvo virus affects dogs, wolves, foxes, and other canids. CPV2a and CPV2b have been isolated from a small percentage of symptomatic cats and is more common than feline panleukopenia in big cats. There are two forms of CPV: intestinal and cardiac. Dogs become infected through oral contact with CPV in feces, infected soil, or fomites carrying the virus. The virus replicates in the lymphoid tissue in the throat, and then spreads to the bloodstream, the lymph nodes, intestinal crypts, and the bone marrow. The cardiac form attacks the heart muscle of puppies infected in utero or shortly after birth. Bacteria that normally live in the intestines then cross into the bloodstream and cause sepsis. Most dogs that are infected will show no symptoms. Dogs that develop the disease show symptoms of the illness within 3 to 10 days which include lethargy, vomiting, fever, and diarrhea.
After a dog is infected, there is no cure, but dogs usually recover from the viral infection and associated symptoms within five days with aggressive treatment.
Animal healthCHW Ag - Canine heartworms
 Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm (Dirofilaria immitis) that is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoes. It affects dogs, cats, foxes, and some other animals, such as ferrets, sea lions, and even humans. The parasitic worm resides in the heart of its host where it can live for many years and kill its host through congestive heart failure. Heartworm infestation that go untreated will lead to the death of the dog. Heartworms go through several life stages before they become adults infesting the heart of the host animal. Heartworms bear thousands of microfilariae every day which then circulate in the dog's bloodstream for as long as two years. The worms require the mosquito as an intermediate stage in order to complete their life cycle.
Animal healthCDV Ag - Canine distemper virus
 Canine distemper is a viral disease affecting domestic animals such as dogs.
Dogs from four months to four years old are particularly susceptible. Canine distemper virus spreads through the air and through contact with infected bodily fluids, including food and water contaminated with these fluids. The time between infection and disease is 14 to 18 days, although there can be a fever from three to six days post infection.

Canine distemper virus has a tropism for lymphoid, epithelial, and nervous tissues. Therefore, the pathology include lymphoid depletion, interstitial pneumonia, encephalitis with demyelination, and hyperkeratosis of foot pads. Histologic examination reveals intra-nuclear and intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies in numerous tissues.
Animal health Canine corona virus
 The virus invades and replicates in the small intestine. Corona virus infection of the intestinal villi makes the cells more susceptible to parvovirus infection. The incubation period is one to three days. It is highly contagious and is spread through the feces of infected dogs, who usually shed the virus for a week to 10 days. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, and anorexia. Diagnosis is through detection of virus particles in the feces. Fatalities are rare. The virus is destroyed by most available disinfectants.
Animal health Leishmania infantum Ab
 Leishmania spp. are protozoan parasitesinetoplastida whose life cycles involve two hosts—a vertebrate (including rodents, canids, or humans) and an insect (sand fly). Canine visceral leishmaniasis is the result of infection with L. infantum in the Old World and L. chagasi in the New World; the two are considered sibling species. Dogs are considered the primary reservoir hosts of L. infantum. Infection of dogs with L. infantum involves cells of the lymphatic series resulting in visceralisation of infection. Dogs can remain asymptomatic or never develop clinical manifestations  which can include chronic wasting, conjunctivitis, ocular signs, facial alopecia, severe muscle atrophy, lymphadenopathy, polyarthritis, and protein-losing nephropathy, which may lead to renal failure. Infection may result in severe systemic disease with hair loss, skin lesions, epistaxis, anemia, wasting, swollen limbs and joints, lameness, renal failure, lymphadenopathy, ocular lesions, and diarrhea. Leishmania infantum is endemic in north and sub-Saharan Africa.
Animal health Ehrlichia Ab
 Ehrlichia are a special type of bacteria which infect and live within the white blood cells of their hosts. Hosts can be human, pet, or wild animals. The most important effects of the parasite are a destruction of red blood cells and a suppression of the function of the bone marrow. They are spread from host to host by tick bites and their intracellular location makes them difficult to remove as most antibiotics do not penetrate to the inside of cells. Ehrlichia canis is spread by the Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) whereas Ehrlichia ewingii is spread by the Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum). Ticks also cause Lyme Disease, Babesia infection, Anaplasma. A dog in a tick area could be infected with multiple blood parasites.  Tick bite fever or "Bosluiskoors" in Afrikaans is caused by a tiny parasite ( Babesia canis) which is introduced into the body by a tick bite. This parasite then enters and destroys red blood cells. Biliary in dogs has a lot in common with malaria in man, except that in the latter, a mosquito is the vector.