Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tyzzer disease causing colitis in orphaned kittens under 6 weeks
By Fingerhood, Sai et al.Ā·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, IncĀ·2023Ā·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United StatesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Tyzzer disease in 19 preweaned orphaned kittens.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Eighteen orphaned kittens under six months old were found to have Tyzzer disease, which caused serious intestinal and liver issues. The kittens showed symptoms like diarrhea and liver inflammation, and tests confirmed the presence of the bacteria responsible for the disease. The researchers noted that a weakened immune system, possibly due to lack of maternal care or poor nutrition, likely contributed to the kittens' illness. Treatment details weren't specified, but recognizing Tyzzer disease as a potential cause of colitis and hepatitis in young kittens is important for better management and care.
People also search for: kitten diarrhea treatment Ā· Tyzzer disease in cats Ā· orphaned kitten health issues
Abstract
, the agent of Tyzzer disease, has traditionally not been considered a major pathogen of cats. We queried the database of the Pathology Service of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California-Davis, for kittens <6-mo-old autopsied between 2000-2021 that had colitis, hepatitis, and/or myocarditis; 37 cases met the search criteria. Sections of colon, liver, and heart from these 37 cats were stained with modified Steiner; 19 of 37 (51%) cases had intraepithelial, Steiner-positive rods compatible within at least one organ, confirming Tyzzer disease. The affected age range was 7-42 d (median: 17.5 d). Eighteen were orphaned kittens. Colitis was the major lesion (18 of 19) followed by random hepatitis (11 of 19). Perianal dermatitis with intraepithelial stacked rods was seen in 2 of 19. Myocarditis was not evident in any of the cases. A PCR assay foron 10 selected cases using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks was positive or suspected in colon (5 of 10), liver (5 of 10), and heart (1 of 10). The modified Steiner stain was more sensitive in the detection of bacteria than PCR on FFPE samples. Fifteen kittens had comorbidities. A weakened immune state caused by maternal, environmental, infectious, and/or nutritional causes is speculated to have contributed to disease onset. We found that Tyzzer disease is more common than previously believed in orphaned kittens and should be considered in kittens with colitis and/or hepatitis.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36772788/