Coinfection with Clostridium piliforme and Felid herpesvirus 1 in a kitten

J Vet Diagn Invest. 2015 Jul;27(4):547-51. doi: 10.1177/1040638715593600. Epub 2015 Jul 15.

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.

Keywords: Colitis; Tyzzer’s disease; feline; rhinotracheitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Cat Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Cat Diseases / microbiology
  • Cat Diseases / virology
  • Cats
  • Clostridium / isolation & purification
  • Clostridium Infections / complications
  • Clostridium Infections / diagnosis
  • Clostridium Infections / veterinary*
  • Coinfection / diagnosis
  • Coinfection / veterinary
  • Colon / microbiology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Herpesviridae / isolation & purification
  • Herpesviridae Infections / complications
  • Herpesviridae Infections / diagnosis
  • Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary*