chlamydia in cats uk

It is rarely fatal but can be a real problem because the symptoms may be very difficult to clear up. What is Cat Chlamydia.

Chlamydia In Cats What It Is And What It Isn T Catster

It is a bacteria that invades and infects your cats eyes and is one of the most common causes of conjunctivitis in cats.

. With treatment the prognosis is positive. This bacteria has also been reported to infect the genital tract and joints. Although there are different strains of the Chlamydia bacteria that infect your pet Chlamydia psittaci is the most common strain that infects felines.

The Chlamydophila bacterium is readily transmitted from cat to cat. Feline chlamydophilosis is caused by Chlamydophila bacteria - which used to be known as feline chlamydia - and usually attacks a cats eyes and nose first. Cats with feline immunodeficiency virus infection may develop prolonged signs.

Chlamydia felis is a Gram-negative bacterium that is an obligate intracellular parasite of cats. Routine hygiene precautions are recommended when handling and treating. One study reported that a large number of cats and dogs become unowned each year in the UK which may have considerable implications for their welfare.

Chlamydia felis previously known as chlamydophila is an infection in cats caused by a certain type of bacteria. Felis can cause up to 30 percent of chronic conjunctivitis in cats. It is passed on through direct contact with infected cats and is fairly common in the UK.

Felis has been associated with. All ages of cats can be infected but disease is seenmost commonly in young kittens 5 - 12 weeks of age and cats in a community such as breeding catteries and rescuecentres. Feline Chlamydophila is regarded as a primary conjunctival pathogen and infection always involves the eye resulting in conjunctivitis and occasionally also causing signs of rhinitis with sneezing and nasal discharge.

Chlamydia is not particularly common in the average pet cat but can be a significant problem in cats in close contact. Genital chlamydia infection is caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacterium which is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the UK. Chlamydiosis refers to a bacteria based chronic respiratory infection caused by the Chlamydia psittaci bacterium.

Vet Microbiol 81 2 95-108 PubMed. Studies using both culture and polymerase chain reaction PCR indicated that cats less than 1 year of age were the most likely to be infected with Chlamydia and cats older than 5 years were the least likely to be infected. If your cats have some dirt on its eyes you can follow these 6 simple.

Feline chlamydial conjunctivitis is an infection caused by a bacterial organism called Chlamydophila felis. While these Mycoplasma spp. The first symptoms of chlamydia infection in cats are a watery discharge from the eyes and excessive.

Cats in shelters boarding kennels and multi-cat households run a higher risk of contracting chlamydia. Chlamydia can infect cats of all ages but kittens between the ages of 5 and 12 weeks are most vulnerable. In addition it may also affect the genital area although thats less common in cats.

Causes of Chlamydia in Cats. When a cat shows tears or inflammation in one or both eyes it may be a sign that it has been infected with feline chlamydia. This highly contagious disease occurs mainly in places where many cats live together in confined or small spaces.

The disease in cats is also known as feline pneumonitis which can be misleading because these bacteria rarely cause pneumonia in cats. Sometimes called Chlamydial Conjunctivitis chlamydia in cats is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia felis. Chlamydia felis does not survive outside of the host so close contact between cats is required for transmission usually via ocular discharges.

Chlamydofila felis is a common cause of conjunctivitis which often affects one eye a few days before the second one gets inflamed. Are common cell wall deficient bacteria that colonise cats. Chlamydia in cats is a bacterial infection that gives rise to upper respiratory infections.

Chlamydiosis can affect cats of all ages however it occurs most often in kittens between 5 and 9 months of age or cats in overcrowded or stressful environments such as animal shelters and breeding catteries. This bacteria occupy and infect the conjunctiva cells that leads to inflammation and ocular discharge. Reside on the surface of mucous membranes and are frequently isolated from the mouth pharynx airways and conjunctiva of cats.

The most common signs of chlamydia in cats involve the eyes or the upper respiratory tract nose or throat and only when infection is not treated does it spread to the lungs. Chlamydial conjunctivitis is an infection of the membrane around the eye the conjunctiva. There have been one or two reports of human conjunctivitis following contact with a cat harbouring C felis but the risk appears to be extremely low.

Different strains of Chlamydia felis and Chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria cause significant eye infections in cats. Cats that have developed this infection will often exhibit traditional signs of an upper respiratory infection such as watery eyes runny nose and sneezing. Sykes J E Allen J L Studdert V P et al 2001 Detection of feline calicivirus feline herpesvirus 1 and Chlamydia psittaci mucosal swabs by multiplex RT-PCRPCR.

It is very easily spread from cat to cat. Chlamydia may be involved in genital infections of cats - but this is. It can progress to affect their lungs stomach intestines and reproductive tract.

Though its contagious among other cats youll be glad to hear its not zoonotic and would be extremely rare for you to catch it. Are generally non-pathogenic clinical illness results in some cats. Known as feline chlamydia its fairly common and can affect the upper respiratory system or eyes.

Symptoms of Feline Chlamydia. Although cats of all ages can be infected the disease is most commonly seen in kittens or where cats are kept in groups or housed. The main chlamydial agent recognised in cats is Chlamydophila felis which was previously known as Chlamydia psittaci feline strain.

As told before chlamydia in cats is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydophola felis. Chlamydia in cats is one form of the feline upper respiratory disease and those with a chlamydophia infection will also have a viral upper respiratory. There have been suggestions of other chlamydial agents occurring in cats but there is little evidence that they are clinically relevant.

Although disease caused by Chlamydophila felis in cats has been referred to as feline pneumonitis Chlamydophila rarely causes pneumonia in cats. Humans can be infected with Chlamydia psitacci but the bacterium that infects cats Chlamydophila felis is highly adapted to this species. Dawson S Gaskell R Jarrett O S 1999 Vaccination in cats - an update.

Chlamydiosis typically affects young cats under 9 months of age. Affected cats have inflammation of the conjunctiva blepharospasm and an ocular discharge. At first it only affects one eye but within a few days it might possibly affect both eyes.

The Feline Centre Department of Clinical Veterinary Science University of Bristol UK. Chlamydia felis infection is relatively common in cats it is thought to be a cause of up to 30 of cases of chronic conjunctivitis. Chlamydia does cause certain respiratory infections in pets but feline calicivirus and feline.

In Practice 21 2 71-74 VetMedResource. As the name suggests its a feline disease and theres no strong evidence of it being contagious for humans. The veterinarian may be able to make a tentative diagnosis of chlamydia based on presenting symptoms.