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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Bartonella and viruses linked to cat mouth inflammation

By Dowers, Kristy L et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2010·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Association of Bartonella species, feline calicivirus, and feline herpesvirus 1 infection with gingivostomatitis in cats.

Species:
cat

Plain-English summary

A group of cats with gingivostomatitis (a painful inflammation of the gums and mouth) was tested for infections that could be causing their symptoms. Researchers found that feline calicivirus (FCV) was present in about 40% of the cats with this condition, while it was not found in any healthy cats. Other infections, like feline herpesvirus 1 and Bartonella species, did not show a significant difference between the sick and healthy cats. This suggests that FCV may be a contributing factor in some cases of gingivostomatitis. Treatment options for affected cats often include anti-inflammatory medications and dental care to manage their symptoms.

People also search for: cat gingivostomatitis treatment · feline calicivirus symptoms · why does my cat have mouth sores

Abstract

Feline gingivostomatitis (FGS) is a common syndrome in cats; feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), and Bartonella species are common differential diagnoses. In this study, blood from 70 cats with FGS and 61 healthy control cats was tested for Bartonella species antibodies in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot immunoassay and DNA in blood using a conventional polymerase chain reaction assay. Additionally, fresh oral biopsies from cats with FGS (n=42) and 19 healthy controls were tested for FCV RNA, FHV-1 DNA and Bartonella species DNA. The prevalence rates for Bartonella species antibodies and DNA in the blood and the tissues did not differ between the two groups. FHV-1 DNA was also not significantly different between groups. Only FCV RNA was present in significantly more cats with FGS (40.5%) than control cats (0%). The results suggest that FCV was associated with FGS in some of the cats.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19959386/