Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cellulitis from Streptococcus pneumoniae in 2-month-old kitten
By Zhang, Shuping et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2006·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Streptococcus pneumoniae-associated cellulitis in a two-month-old Domestic Shorthair kitten.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-month-old Domestic Shorthair kitten was brought to the vet after showing signs of trauma to her left shoulder while playing, but sadly, she was found dead the next day. The kitten had significant swelling and bleeding in her left forelimb, and tests revealed severe cellulitis (a skin infection) caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a type of bacteria. Other health issues were also noted, including pneumonia and gastrointestinal problems. Unfortunately, despite the identification of the bacteria, the kitten did not survive.
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Abstract
An approximately 2-month-old, reproductively intact female Domestic Shorthair kitten was presented to the Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory with a history of possible trauma to the left shoulder region while playing with children, and was found dead the following day. Marked swelling, with subcutaneous edema and hemorrhages, was observed in the left forelimb. Severe pleocellular, but largely suppurative cellulitis, fasciitis, and interstitial myositis with edema were observed microscopically in sections from the affected limb. Massive numbers of gram-positive diplococci also were observed. Other pathologic changes included moderate interstitial pneumonia, mild cholangitis, lymph node hemorrhage, gastrointestinal nematodiasis, mild enteritis, and mild interstitial nephritis. Bacteriologic culture identified Streptococcus pneumoniae as the causative agent, which was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the pneumolysin gene from chromosomal DNA of the isolate.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16617709/