Prevalence of Potentially Pathogenic Enteric Organisms in Clinically Healthy Kittens in the UK

Abstract

Faecal samples were collected from 57 clinically healthy kittens presented for initial vaccination, in the UK. Routine bacteriological examination identified Salmonella species in one and Campylobacter species in five samples. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detected the presence of Campylobacter species in a further four samples. Routine parasitological examination revealed Toxocara species ova in nine (including four kittens stated to have been administered an anthelmintic) and Isospora species in four samples. No Giardia or Cryptosporidium species were detected by routine methods. A Giardia species enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kit designed for use in cats was positive in three kittens. A similar test kit designed for use in humans was negative in all samples and produced negative results even when known positive samples were tested. Potentially pathogenic enteric organisms were detected in 19 kittens by routine methods and 26 (prevalence 45%) by all methods. The high prevalence in asymptomatic kittens highlights the possibility that the detection of these organisms in kittens with gastrointestinal disease may be an incidental finding.

Prevalence of enteropathogens in cats with and without diarrhea in four different management models for unowned cats in the southeast United States

“…There was little relationship between fecal consistency and the presence of one or more enteropathogens, a finding that has been documented in previous studies (Hill et al, 2000;Vasilopulos et al, 2006;Gow et al, 2009;Queen et al, 2012;Sabshin et al, 2012;Paris et al, 2014;Little et al, 2015;Silva and Lobato, 2015). Although the pathogens evaluated in this study can be associated with gastrointestinal disease, it is apparent that the mere presence of these agents does not consistently result in diarrhea.…”

“…Causes of diarrhea include factors such as stress, dietary change, microbiome dysbiosis (Suchodolski et al, 2015), and infectious enteropathogens. A variety of feline and zoonotic enteropathogens capable of inducing diarrhea have been documented in unowned cats (Hill et al, 2000;Spain et al, 2001;Mekaru et al, 2007;Gow et al, 2009;Weese, 2011;Sabshin et al, 2012;Spada et al, 2013;Raab et al, 2016). Factors that affect transmission of enteropathogens include single vs. group housing, sanitation practices, facility construction, preventive health protocols, host immunity, and the prevalence of other infectious organisms (Pedersen et al, 2004).…”

“…Factors that affect transmission of enteropathogens include single vs. group housing, sanitation practices, facility construction, preventive health protocols, host immunity, and the prevalence of other infectious organisms (Pedersen et al, 2004). However, not all infections are associated with diarrhea, making it difficult to identify and segregate cats that may be shedding enteropathogens based on clinical signs alone (Hill et al, 2000;Vasilopulos et al, 2006;Gow et al, 2009;Queen et al, 2012;Sabshin et al, 2012;Paris et al, 2014;Silva and Lobato, 2015).…”

Survey of Campylobacter spp. in owned and unowned dogs and cats in Northern Italy

“…The prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in pets is variable, ranging in dogs from 4.81% (Andrzejewska et al, 2013) to 87% (Acke et al, 2006) and in cats from 8.7% (Gow et al, 2009) to 75% (Acke et al, 2006). Dogs and cats are considered subclinical hosts of Campylobacter spp., carrying mainly C. upsaliensis, C. jejuni and C. helveticus (Wieland et al, 2005;Workman et al, 2005;Acke et al, 2006Acke et al, , 2009aAcke et al, , 2009bRossi et al, 2008;Parsons et al, 2010).…”

Cryptosporidium felis in faeces from cats in the UK

“…Anti- Cryptosporidium IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies were detected in 192 (74 per cent), 84 (33 per cent) and 67 (26 per cent) on 258 cats (Mtambo and others 1995). Recently, Cryptosporidium oocysts were not detected in 57 healthy kittens in Scotland (Gow and others 2009). Another study reported a 1 per cent prevalence rate (13 of 1355) in cats with gastrointestinal disease from the UK, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (Tzannes and others 2008).…”