Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eye infection from Prototheca microalga in Birman cat in Spain
By Jimenez-Ramos, Laura et al.·Published in Emerging infectious diseases·2025·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Endogenous Endophthalmitis Caused by Prototheca Microalga in Birman Cat, Spain.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A Birman cat in Spain developed severe eye problems that could not be treated, caused by an infection from a type of microalga called Prototheca. Over two years, the cat's eye issues got worse, and it started showing signs of neurological problems, indicating that the infection had spread throughout its body. Unfortunately, the specific type of Prototheca causing the infection could not be identified. This case highlights the seriousness of certain infections that can affect a cat's eyes and overall health.
People also search for: cat eye problems · Birman cat infection · Prototheca microalga treatment · cat neurological signs · eye infection in cats
Abstract
We identified Prototheca spp. microalga in ocular samples of a cat in Spain with nontreatable endogenous endophthalmitis. Within 2 years, the eye lesions progressively worsened and neurologic signs appeared, suggesting systemic spread of the infection. On multitarget sequence analysis, the feline pathogen could not be assigned to any known Prototheca species.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39714506/