Coinfection with Clostridium piliforme and Felid herpesvirus 1 in a kitten

Abstract

Abstract. A 1-month-old Domestic Shorthair kitten was submitted for autopsy, with a history of upper respiratory tract infection and diarrhea. This was the third kitten from the same litter that had died with similar clinical findings within a period of 1 month. Severe conjunctivitis, rhinitis, tracheitis, and bronchointerstitial pneumonia were present, together with lymphohistiocytic colitis. Respiratory lesions were caused by infection with Felid herpesvirus 1. Colonic lesions were associated with the presence of long filamentous bacteria, identified as Clostridium piliforme, in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. Our report describes a case of concurrent C. piliforme infection (Tyzzer's disease) and feline rhinotracheitis in a kitten.

Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus 4 and Clostridium perfringens Type C Fatal Co-Infection in an Adult Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)

“…For instance, C. perfringens infection has been linked with fatal EEHV-HD in Asian elephant calves [32], as well as in European badgers (Meles meles) with genital tract gammaherpesvirus (Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1) [37], in dairy cows with ulcerative endometritis caused by Bovine herpesvirus 4 [38] and in other captive artiodactyls with gammaherpesvirus infections [39]. Similarly, lymphohistiocytic colitis caused by C. piliforme has been reported in a kitten in association with rhinitis, tracheitis and bronchointerstitial pneumonia, caused by Felid herpesvirus 1 [40].…”

Clostridium piliforme infection (Tyzzer disease) in horses: retrospective study of 25 cases and literature review

“…2,4,[24][25][26][27][28]38 Intestinal lesions alone have been described in kittens. 13,22 Liver and colon lesions have been described in a calf and a panda 14,16,34 ; lesions in only the liver were reported in muskrats, 10 and simultaneous liver and heart involvement was reported in marsupials. 5 In rodents and rabbits, the intestinal tract and the liver, but not the heart, are usually involved.…”

Pathobiology and diagnosis of clostridial hepatitis in animals

“…The disease occurs in numerous domestic, laboratory, and exotic species. 3,13,33,35,39,40,46,58,63,74,83,84 The majority of cases have been documented in horses, particularly foals, and laboratory rabbits, mice, rats, and guinea pigs. 12,22,24,30…”

“…Spores are 0.6–1.4 μm diameter and possess 90–250 nm thick coats. 24,46 Although commonly reported to be gram-negative in tissue sections, C. piliforme may be gram-variable or gram-positive. 18 Although virulence factors for C. piliforme have not been characterized, different isolates seem to cause different degrees of cytotoxicity, suggesting that various C. piliforme strains could induce different clinical forms of the disease.…”

“…74 Transmission electron microscopy may be attempted to visualize vegetative cells and spores in the cytoplasm of affected cells. 33,46 DNA fragments of the C. piliforme 16S rRNA can be amplified by PCR to achieve an etiologic diagnosis, 24 but, given its close phylogenetic proximity with C. colinum , and potentially other nonpathogenic clostridia, 22 currently available PCR techniques for this pathogen must be interpreted in combination with the macroscopic and microscopic lesions compatible with TD.…”