Nosocomial spread of Mycobacterium bovis in domestic cats

Abstract

Five domestic cats were euthanased owing to confirmed or suspected Mycobacterium bovis infection. The initial source of infection remains unclear. Cat A was presented to a veterinary clinic in County Kildare, Ireland, with a discharging submandibular lesion. The infection appears to have been transmitted to four other cats through direct (cats B and C living in the same household as cat A) and non-direct (nosocomial spread during routine operations; cats D and E) contact over a 13.5-week period. Of the five cases, two (B and D) had post-mortem examinations in which gross changes consistent with tuberculosis were seen, moderate numbers of acid-fast bacteria (AFB) were seen on microscopy and M bovis (spoligotype SB0978) was confirmed on culture. Of the remaining three cats, one had a swab taken from its draining ovariohysterectomy wound, which revealed large numbers of AFB with morphology consistent with M bovis (cat E). Two cases were euthanased without diagnostic tests; however, their history and clinical presentations were highly suggestive of tuberculosis (cats A and C). To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of nosocomial spread of M bovis in cats.

Nosocomial Infections and their Surveillance in Veterinary Hospitals

“…They are often associated with a number of persistent infections that poorly respond to antibiotics (Hall-Stoodley, 2004). Nosocomial spread of Mycobacterium bovis between cats was recorded in a veterinary clinic in Ireland (Murray et al, 2014 (Lynch and Robertson, 2008). The nosocomial outbreak of canine parainfluenza infection was recorded in a veterinary referral hospital among dogs (Weese and Stull, 2013).…”

An outbreak of tuberculosis due toMycobacterium bovisinfection in a pack of English Foxhounds (2016-2017)

“…The majority of the clinical signs in sick hounds were non‐specific and compatible with those seen due to M. bovis infections in other species; lethargy, anorexia, weight loss and lymphadenopathy (Isaac, Whitehead, Adams, Barton, & Coloe, ; Murray et al., ; O'Halloran & Gunn‐Moore, ). Unusually for companion animals, every clinically ill animal, those with lesions at PME as well as NVL hounds that were found to be culture positive, had renal infections.…”

“…Unusually for companion animals, every clinically ill animal, those with lesions at PME as well as NVL hounds that were found to be culture positive, had renal infections. The kidney is not generally considered a so‐called “target organ” for mycobacterial infections in companion animals, however, it is the second most common site of extra‐pulmonary TB in humans, after lymph nodes (Adzic‐Vukicevic et al., ; Murray et al., ; O'Halloran & Gunn‐Moore, ; Pesciaroli et al., ; da Silva Junior et al., ). Renal tuberculous infections are often considered to be insidious and present with mild or even subclinical disease, a significant proportion of cases are incidental findings at PME (Guarino, Martínez‐Roig, Maiques‐Llacer, González‐Rivero, & Anguerri‐Feu, 2009; Isao et al., ; Punia & Kumar, ).…”

Feline tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis

“…All of the cats reported by Roberts and others (2014) were seen within the same small animal veterinary clinic, and one developed a tuberculous lesion at the site of castration three weeks after the operation. I have seen this startlingly rapid progression in two confirmed nosocomial cases, with clinical signs arising as soon as 14 days after ovariohysterectomy and rapid progression to the point of euthanasia at 42 days after castration (Murray and others 2014). Rapid disease progression has previously been seen in experimental (Francis 1958) and naturally occurring infections (Isaac and others 1983), and may result from a large inoculation of M bovis (Francis 1958).…”

“…Importantly, there has now been a small number of nosocomial cases, where cats naturally infected with M bovis have infected other cats via contamination within a veterinary practice, particularly during routine neutering (Murray and others 2014). All of the cats reported by Roberts and others (2014) were seen within the same small animal veterinary clinic, and one developed a tuberculous lesion at the site of castration three weeks after the operation.…”