Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2397984 | Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery | 2010 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
The aim of this case-control study was to investigate the prevalence of microorganisms in group-living cats with clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease (URTD), in in-contact cats and in cats in groups without URTD problems. Samples were taken from the ventral conjunctival fornix for analysis of feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV), Mycoplasma felis and Chlamydiaceae using a real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. The oropharynx was sampled for bacteriological culture and viral isolation. Specific infectious agents were identified in 11/20 (55%) of the case households, in 7/20 (35%) of the cats with clinical signs and in 3/20 (15%) of the control households, in 3/40 (7.5%) of the cats. Chlamydiae and M felis were only detected from case households, both from cats with URTD and from in-contact cats. The difference in prevalence between case and control households was statistically significant for M felis (PÂ =Â 0.047). The presence of M felis in cat groups was thus associated with clinical signs of URTD.
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Authors
Bodil Ström DVM, PhD, Dipl ECAR, Sofia DVM, Louise T. DVM, Ingrid DVM, PhD, Robert MSc, Anna PhD, Titti DVM, Göran DVM, PhD, Christina DVM, PhD,