Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Detecting Mycoplasma bacteria in cats with lower airway disease using
By Reed, Nicki et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2012·University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Mycoplasma species in cats with lower airway disease: improved detection and species identification using a polymerase chain reaction assay.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 76 cats with breathing problems was tested for Mycoplasma infections, which can affect the lower airways. Traditional bacterial cultures did not find any infections, but a more advanced test called PCR-DGGE detected Mycoplasma in about 15% of the cats. Three specific types of Mycoplasma were identified, including one that had not been previously found in cats with these issues. While the exact role of these bacteria in causing breathing problems in cats is still unclear, the new testing method helped identify them more effectively.
Abstract
There is some evidence that Mycoplasma species may be associated with lower airway disease in cats. Retrospective and prospective studies were carried out on a total population of 76 cats but failed to identify any cases of Mycoplasma species infection by bacterial culture alone. The overall prevalence of bacterial infection (15.8%) was also lower than that identified in previous studies. When a molecular detection technique, the PCR-DGGE, was employed the prevalence of Mycoplasma species detected was 15.4%, with M felis, M gateae and M feliminutum species identified, although the significance of these Mycoplasma species in feline lower airway disease remains in question. However, the PCR-DGGE technique allowed species identification and indicated the presence of M feliminutum, a species not previously isolated from the lower airways of cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22718951/