Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Infectious causes for feline upper respiratory tract disease – a case–control study
- Journal:
- Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Holst, Bodil Ström et al.
- Affiliation:
- SLU, Department of Clinical Sciences, Box 7054, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden, Department of Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies, National Veterinary Institute, SE-751 89 Uppsala, Sweden bodil.strom-holst@kv.slu.se
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This study looked at cats living in groups to see how common certain germs are in those with upper respiratory tract disease (URTD), which can cause symptoms like sneezing and coughing. Researchers took samples from the eyes and throat of the cats to check for specific viruses and bacteria. They found that 55% of the cats with URTD had certain germs, while only 15% of healthy cats had them. Notably, a specific bacteria called Mycoplasma felis was found more often in sick cats compared to healthy ones, suggesting it might be linked to the disease. Overall, the presence of Mycoplasma felis in these groups of cats appears to be associated with the signs of URTD.
Abstract
The aim of this case–control study was to investigate the prevalence of microorganisms in group-living cats with clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease (URTD), in in-contact cats and in cats in groups without URTD problems. Samples were taken from the ventral conjunctival fornix for analysis of feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV), Mycoplasma felis and Chlamydiaceae using a real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. The oropharynx was sampled for bacteriological culture and viral isolation. Specific infectious agents were identified in 11/20 (55%) of the case households, in 7/20 (35%) of the cats with clinical signs and in 3/20 (15%) of the control households, in 3/40 (7.5%) of the cats. Chlamydiae and M felis were only detected from case households, both from cats with URTD and from in-contact cats. The difference in prevalence between case and control households was statistically significant for M felis (P=0.047). The presence of M felis in cat groups was thus associated with clinical signs of URTD.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfms.2010.06.002