Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bacterial and viral causes of conjunctivitis in cats with respiratory
By Hartmann, Anja D et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2010·Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of bacterial and viral organisms from the conjunctiva of cats with conjunctivitis and upper respiratory tract disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 41 cats with eye problems, specifically conjunctivitis and upper respiratory issues, were tested for infections caused by various bacteria and viruses. Out of these cats, 37 were found to have an infection, with many having multiple types of pathogens. The most common infections were caused by Chlamydophila felis and several types of mycoplasmas, along with feline herpesvirus. The study revealed that mycoplasmas were more prevalent in these cats than previously thought, with some species not previously identified in cats.
People also search for: cat conjunctivitis treatment · feline herpesvirus symptoms · mycoplasma infections in cats
Abstract
A variety of pathogens are involved in conjunctivitis in cats. In this study, the prevalence of feline herpesvirus (FHV), Chlamydophila felis, mycoplasmas, and aerobic bacteria on the conjunctival surface of cats with conjunctivitis and upper respiratory tract disease was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunofluorescent assay (IFA), and aerobic bacterial culture of ocular swabs. Forty-one cats were included of which 37 were found to be infected with an ocular organism. Single and multiple infections were present in 15 and 22 cats, respectively. FHV, mycoplasmas, and C felis were detected by PCR in 11 (27%), 20 (49%), and 23 (56%) cats, respectively. IFA detected 10 cats as positive for C felis. Mycoplasma felis, Mycoplasma canadense, Mycoplasma cynos, Mycoplasma gateae, Mycoplasma lipophilum, and Mycoplasma hyopharyngis were identified by genetic sequencing. The most common aerobic bacteria cultured included Staphylococcus species, Streptococcus species and Micrococcus species. The prevalence of mycoplasmas in cats with conjunctivitis was higher than previously reported, and four of the Mycoplasma species have not been described in cats so far.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20817584/