Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tuberculosis in indoor pet cats linked to raw food diet
By O'Halloran, Conor et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2019·1 Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tuberculosis due toin pet cats associated with feeding a commercial raw food diet.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Six young indoor cats in England became seriously ill with tuberculosis after being fed a specific commercial raw food diet. They showed symptoms like skin lesions and swollen lymph nodes, but unfortunately, five of the six cats were too sick to treat and passed away. Investigations revealed that all affected cats were fed the same raw food product, leading to concerns about its safety. The authorities have been notified, and pet owners are advised to be cautious with raw diets, especially if they notice any unusual symptoms in their cats.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: , a member of thecomplex, can infect cats and has proven zoonotic risks for owners. Infected cats typically present with a history of outdoor lifestyle and hunting behaviour, and cutaneous granulomas are most commonly observed. The aim of this study is to describe an outbreak of tuberculous disease commencing with six young cats, living exclusively indoors in five different households across England, being presented to separate veterinarians across the UK with a variety of clinical signs. METHODS: Investigations into the pyogranulomatous lesions, lymphadenopathy and/or pulmonary disease of these cases consistently identified infection with. Infection was confirmed by PCR, where possible, or was indicated with a positive interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), where material for PCR was unavailable. In-contact, cohabiting cats were screened by IGRA and follow-up testing was undertaken/advised where results were positive. A lifestyle investigation was undertaken to identify the source of infection. RESULTS: Six clinically sick cats and seven in-contact cats were identified with evidence ofinfection. Five clinical cases were either too sick to treat or deteriorated despite therapy, giving a mortality rate of 83%. Lifestyle investigations revealed the common factors between clusters to be that affected cats had mycobacterial infections speciated to, were exclusively indoor cats and were fed a commercially available raw food product produced by a single manufacturer. The Food Standards Agency, Animal & Plant Health Agency, Public Health England and the food manufacturer concerned have been notified/informed. Other possible sources of exposure for these cats towere explored and were excluded, including wildlife contact, access to raw milk, the presence of rodent populations inside the buildings in which the cats lived and exposure to known infectious humans. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Upon investigations, our results provide compelling, if circumstantial, evidence of an association between the commercial raw diet of these cats and theirinfections.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31082328/