Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
No clear link between Chlamydia felis plasmid and cat eye infection
By Gonsales, F F et al.·Published in Microbial pathogenesis·2016·University of Sã, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Chlamydia felis: Lack of association between clinical signs and the presence of the cryptic plasmid.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats in Brazil showed signs of severe eye problems and upper respiratory issues due to an infection with Chlamydia felis, a type of bacteria. Out of 186 cats tested, about 19% were found to be infected, with a significant number coming from one particular cattery. While all infected cats had noticeable symptoms, the severity of their condition did not directly relate to the presence of a specific genetic marker in the bacteria. Treatment typically involves antibiotics, which can help manage the symptoms and clear the infection.
People also search for: cat eye problems treatment · Chlamydia felis symptoms in cats · upper respiratory infection in cats
Abstract
Chlamydia felis is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that infects cats, causing severe conjunctivitis associated with upper respiratory tract disease (URTD). In the present study, 186 cats from three non-commercial catteries in São Paulo, SP, Brazil were evaluated. The detection of Chlamydia felis was performed by PCR. The clinical severity was scored from 1 to 4, with a score of 4 as the most severe manifestation. The total occurrence of C. felis was of 18.82% (35/186) of cats overall, but notably, 58.06% (18/31) of infected cats originated from a single cattery. All animals harboring C. felis had URTD clinical signs and higher scores (3 and 4). In addition, C. felis occurrence was associated with the presence of cryptic plasmid. However, the virulence and clinical severity were not correlated.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27208751/