Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pathogenic Leptospira bacteria found in urine and kidneys of cats
By Alashraf, Abdul Rahman et al.·Published in PloS one·2020·Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First report of pathogenic Leptospira spp. isolated from urine and kidneys of naturally infected cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 82 healthy shelter cats in Malaysia was tested for a bacteria called Leptospira, which can cause leptospirosis, a disease that can affect both animals and humans. Surprisingly, about 29% of these cats tested positive for the bacteria, with some showing it in their urine and kidneys. Most of the infected cats did not show any obvious symptoms, meaning they could be carriers without being sick themselves. This study highlights that even healthy cats can spread this infection, which is important for preventing disease in both pets and people.
People also search for: cat leptospirosis symptoms · healthy cat urine infection · how do cats spread leptospirosis
Abstract
Leptospirosis is one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases and can infect both humans and animals worldwide. Healthy cat, as a potential source of exposure to humans, are likely underestimated owing to the lack of overt clinical signs associated with Leptospira spp. infection in this species. The aim of the study was to determine the exposure, shedding, and carrier status of leptospires in shelter cats in Malaysia by using serological, molecular, and bacteriological methods. For this study, 82 healthy cats from two shelters were sampled. The blood, urine, and kidneys were tested using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and bacterial culture. On the basis of serological, molecular, and/or culture techniques, the total detection of leptospiral infection was 29.3% (n = 24/82). Through culture techniques, 16.7% (n = 4/24) of the cats that tested positive were carriers with positive kidney cultures, and one cat was culture positive for both urine and kidney. The Leptospira spp. isolates were identified as pathogenic L. interrogans serovar Bataviae through serological and molecular methods. Through serological techniques, 87.5% (n = 21/24) had positive antibody titers (100-1600) and most of the Bataviae serogroup (n = 19/21). Using PCR, 16.7% (n = 4/24) of cats were shown to have pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA in their urine. Furthermore, three out of four culture positive cats were serology negative. The present study reports the first retrieval of pathogenic leptospires from urine and kidneys obtained from naturally infected cats. The results provide evidence of the potential role of naturally infected cats in the transmission of leptospires. Additionally, leptospiral infection occurs sub-clinically in cats. The culture isolation provides evidence that healthy cats could be reservoirs of leptospiral infection, and this information may promote the development of disease prevention strategies for the cat population.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32155209/