Mycobacterial Infections in Cats

Horne KS, Kunkle GA: Clinical outcome of cutaneous rapidly growing mycobacterial infections in cats in the south-eastern United States: a review of 10 cases (1996-2006), J Feline Med Surg 11:627, 2009.

In the United States, there have been very few case reports of cutaneous mycobacterial infections in cats. This study reviews 10 cases of cats with rapidly growing mycobacterial infections from the south-eastern United States. This condition is fairly uncommon and is a challenging condition to treat in cats due to a variable response rate to surgical debulking and aggressive antibiotic therapy. The majority of these cases were spayed female cats with the median age of 8 years. The majority of the cats presented with characteristic lesions in multiple locations that were subsequent to trauma. The most frequently cultured organism was Mycobacterium fortuitum. The cats were treated with a variety of antibiotics for a median of 12 months, and half of this number also underwent surgical debulking. Five out of the 10 cats treated reached clinical resolution and 5 cases did not. Those cases that achieved resolution required a median of 7 months of antibiotic treatment after diagnosis. With only half of the cases reaching resolution, one must consider a guarded prognosis in cases of feline rapidly growing mycobacterial infection in the south-eastern portion of the United States. [VT]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related articles:
Kaneene JB, Bruning-Fann CS, Dunn J, Mullaney TP, Berry D, Massey JP, Thoen CO, Halstead S, Schwartz K. Epidemiologic investigation of Mycobacterium bovis in a population of cats. Am J Vet Res. 2002 Nov;63(11):1507-11.
>> PubMed Abstract

Appleyard GD, Clark EG. Histologic and genotypic characterization of a novel Mycobacterium species found in three cats. J Clin Microbiol. 2002
Jul;40(7):2425-30.
>> Free, full text article

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Horne KS, Kunkle GA: Clinical outcome of cutaneous rapidly growing mycobacterial infections in cats in the south-eastern United States: a review of 10 cases (1996-2006), J Feline Med Surg 11:627, 2009.

In the United States, there have been very few case reports of cutaneous mycobacterial infections in cats. This study reviews 10 cases of cats with rapidly growing mycobacterial infections from the south-eastern United States. This condition is fairly uncommon and is a challenging condition to treat in cats due to a variable response rate to surgical debulking and aggressive antibiotic therapy. The majority of these cases were spayed female cats with the median age of 8 years. The majority of the cats presented with characteristic lesions in multiple locations that were subsequent to trauma. The most frequently cultured organism was Mycobacterium fortuitum. The cats were treated with a variety of antibiotics for a median of 12 months, and half of this number also underwent surgical debulking. Five out of the 10 cats treated reached clinical resolution and 5 cases did not. Those cases that achieved resolution required a median of 7 months of antibiotic treatment after diagnosis. With only half of the cases reaching resolution, one must consider a guarded prognosis in cases of feline rapidly growing mycobacterial infection in the south-eastern portion of the United States. [VT]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related articles:
Kaneene JB, Bruning-Fann CS, Dunn J, Mullaney TP, Berry D, Massey JP, Thoen CO, Halstead S, Schwartz K. Epidemiologic investigation of Mycobacterium bovis in a population of cats. Am J Vet Res. 2002 Nov;63(11):1507-11.
>> PubMed Abstract

Appleyard GD, Clark EG. Histologic and genotypic characterization of a novel Mycobacterium species found in three cats. J Clin Microbiol. 2002
Jul;40(7):2425-30.
>> Free, full text article

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
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Virulent Systemic Feline Calicivirus

Reynolds BS, Poulet H, Pingret JL et al: A nosocomial outbreak of feline calicivirus associated virulent systemic disease in France, J Feline Med Surg 11:633, 2009.

This paper documents an outbreak of virulent systemic (VS) feline calicivirus (FCV) at a veterinary teaching hospital in France. The initial case was referred to the hospital, presenting with severe depression, fever, facial and limb edema, crusting, mucopurulent nasal discharge, oral ulceration and dyspnea. Within 10 days, 2 cats (one owned by a veterinary student and one that had visited the hospital 3 days previous) presented with similar disease symptoms. These 3 cats all died or were euthanized without a confirmed diagnosis. The fourth case presented 3 days after a visit to the hospital, and FCV was confirmed. At that point, the possibility of hospital-acquired infection was assessed, and 3 additional hospitalized cats were found to be infected. The hospital was then closed to cats for 19 days and disinfected. An eighth cat owned by a veterinary student who was working in the hospital during this period also contracted the virus and was hospitalized at a private clinic. Of the 8 affected cats, 3 died, 2 were euthanized, and 2 recovered. As indicated, 2 cases never in the affected hospital occurred in cats infected by their owners (veterinary students present at the hospital). The virus from this outbreak was characterized, and found to be the same in all cases. This outbreak illustrates the highly contagious nature of this virus. [MK]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related Articles:
Radford AD, Addie D, Belak S et al: Feline calicivirus infection. ABCD guidelines on prevention and management, J Feline Med Surg 11:556, 2009.
>> Free, full text article

Radford AD, Coyne KP, Dawson S et al: Feline calicivirus, Vet Res 38:319, 2007.
>> PubMed Abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
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Reynolds BS, Poulet H, Pingret JL et al: A nosocomial outbreak of feline calicivirus associated virulent systemic disease in France, J Feline Med Surg 11:633, 2009.

This paper documents an outbreak of virulent systemic (VS) feline calicivirus (FCV) at a veterinary teaching hospital in France. The initial case was referred to the hospital, presenting with severe depression, fever, facial and limb edema, crusting, mucopurulent nasal discharge, oral ulceration and dyspnea. Within 10 days, 2 cats (one owned by a veterinary student and one that had visited the hospital 3 days previous) presented with similar disease symptoms. These 3 cats all died or were euthanized without a confirmed diagnosis. The fourth case presented 3 days after a visit to the hospital, and FCV was confirmed. At that point, the possibility of hospital-acquired infection was assessed, and 3 additional hospitalized cats were found to be infected. The hospital was then closed to cats for 19 days and disinfected. An eighth cat owned by a veterinary student who was working in the hospital during this period also contracted the virus and was hospitalized at a private clinic. Of the 8 affected cats, 3 died, 2 were euthanized, and 2 recovered. As indicated, 2 cases never in the affected hospital occurred in cats infected by their owners (veterinary students present at the hospital). The virus from this outbreak was characterized, and found to be the same in all cases. This outbreak illustrates the highly contagious nature of this virus. [MK]
>> PubMed Abstract

Related Articles:
Radford AD, Addie D, Belak S et al: Feline calicivirus infection. ABCD guidelines on prevention and management, J Feline Med Surg 11:556, 2009.
>> Free, full text article

Radford AD, Coyne KP, Dawson S et al: Feline calicivirus, Vet Res 38:319, 2007.
>> PubMed Abstract

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

Read More