Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bacterial meningitis and brain inflammation in 3 domestic cats
By de Cecco, Bianca S et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2021·Department of Veterinary Pathology, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Meningoencephalomyelitis in domestic cats: 3 cases ofinfection and literature review.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Three domestic cats were diagnosed with serious brain infections called meningitis and meningoencephalomyelitis, which can cause neurological symptoms. In two of the cats, the vets found visible pus in the brain coverings, and all three showed signs of inflammation in the brain tissue. The infections were linked to bacteria, which were confirmed through lab tests. The researchers believe that these infections may start in the upper respiratory system and spread to the brain. Treatment details weren't specified, but recognizing the signs early is crucial for better outcomes.
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Abstract
Neurologic diseases are common in domestic cats, and infectious agents are suspected to be the primary cause in 30-45% of cases. Among infectious etiologies, those of bacterial origin are only sporadically characterized in the literature, with few of these reports correlating gross and histologic findings with confirmatory bacteriologic identification. Here, we describe bacterial meningitis and meningoencephalomyelitis associated within 3 domestic cats. Purulent exudate expanding the cerebral meninges was grossly evident in 2 of the cases. In all 3 cases, histologic changes included multifocal suppurative-to-necrosuppurative meningitis and/or meningoencephalomyelitis of variable severity. Intralesional colonies of gram-negative, short rod-shaped to coccobacillary bacteria were evident histologically in only 1 case.was confirmed by routine bacteriologic culture in all cases. Based on our cases, we hypothesize that the upper respiratory system serves as the main portal of entry for, leading to invasion of the central nervous system and possible systemic hematogenous dissemination. A case series of meningoencephalomyelitis associated withinfection in cats has not been reported previously, to our knowledge. We also review briefly other causes of meningoencephalomyelitis in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34301172/