Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Infectious germs linked to upper respiratory disease in cats
By Holst, Bodil Ström et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2010·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Infectious causes for feline upper respiratory tract disease--a case-control study.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats living together showed signs of upper respiratory tract disease, like sneezing and nasal discharge. Researchers found that a specific bacteria called Mycoplasma felis was present in many of the affected cats, suggesting it could be causing their symptoms. In fact, 55% of the cats with respiratory issues tested positive for this bacteria. Treatment for these infections often includes antibiotics, which can help clear up the symptoms and improve the cats' health.
People also search for: cat upper respiratory infection treatment · why is my cat sneezing · Mycoplasma felis in cats
Abstract
The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the prevalence of microorganisms in group-living cats with clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease (URTD), in in-contact cats and in cats in groups without URTD problems. Samples were taken from the ventral conjunctival fornix for analysis of feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV), Mycoplasma felis and Chlamydiaceae using a real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. The oropharynx was sampled for bacteriological culture and viral isolation. Specific infectious agents were identified in 11/20 (55%) of the case households, in 7/20 (35%) of the cats with clinical signs and in 3/20 (15%) of the control households, in 3/40 (7.5%) of the cats. Chlamydiae and M felis were only detected from case households, both from cats with URTD and from in-contact cats. The difference in prevalence between case and control households was statistically significant for M felis (P=0.047). The presence of M felis in cat groups was thus associated with clinical signs of URTD.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20851008/