|
What is
Salmonellosis?
Salmonella
is a gram-negative bacteria from the family
Enterobacteriaceae. Most commonly known as a cause of
enteritis (inflammation of the intestines). There are almost
2,000 serotypes of the genus Salmonella. They live in the
intestinal tracts of many species of mammal, birds, amphibians
& reptiles. Salmonella appears to be relatively uncommon in
cats. Salmonella in cats is of particular importance
because it is a zoonotic disease, ie: one which can be passed
from animals to humans.
Clinical
Features:
Salmonellosis
causes a reddening of the intestinal mucosa as well as reddening
of the mesenteric (membranous sheet attaching various organs to
the body wall, especially the peritoneal fold attaching the
intestine to the dorsal body wall) [2] lymph nodes. At this
point, the bacteria & or their toxin are either contained by the body's own
defences or invades the bloodstream (bacteremia) & then onto
other organs such as the liver.
It
can cause abortion in pregnant females.
What
are the symptoms of salmonellosis?
Most
cats infected with salmonella have what's known as
"subclinical carrier state". This means that they have
been infected but only very mildly & don't display any
clinical manifestations of the disease. Salmonellosis
isn't seen very often in cats & it is believed they have a
natural immunity to the bacteria. Risk factors which can make a
cat more susceptible to salmonellosis include cats in high
stress situations & environments, cats who's natural
resistance has been compromised due to another infection,
general poor health status, hospitalised animals &
kittens. Kittens are more likely to be
clinically affected than adult cats. [1] Symptoms of
salmonellosis appear after 2 - 4 days of exposure & can
include.
How
do cats become infected with salmonella?
Salmonella
is faeces & sometimes the saliva. It can grow
on food & can survive on objects for long periods of time.
Cats often become infected from catching prey.
Cats
are most commonly infected via contaminated food or catching
infected animals. In fact, Salmonellosis in cats has been
called "song bird fever" due to it's association with
cats acquiring infection from hunted birds.
How
is it diagnosed?
How
is it treated?
If
the infection isn't severe then supportive care will be given.
IV fluids, electrolytes etc.
Food
& water are restricted while vomiting & diarrhoea are
present.
It
seems there is some controversy over the use of antibiotics to
treat simple cases of salmonella enteritis (intestinal
inflammation) with diarrhoea in cats, suggesting that
antibiotics can actually favour the growth of antibiotic
resistant strains of salmonella. Antibiotics (sulfa) are
therefore reserved for severely ill cats.
Can
I catch salmonella from my cat?
Cats
have been found to shed the serotype of salmonella which are
pathogenic to humans. However, there are very few (if any)
reports of human infection from cats. There is a much, much
greater risk of becoming infected via infected food.
When
treating a cat with salmonellosis strict hygiene is vital. After
handling your cat or it's utensils, you should disinfect your
hands immediately.
Bleach
is the best method to kill salmonella bacteria in the
environment.
References:
[1]
Feline Husbandry - Diseases and Management in the Multiple-Cat
Environment - Niels C. Pederson,
[2]
Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary - D. C. Blood, V.
P. Studdert.
Please note:
The medical
articles on this site have not been written by a
veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a
veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for
informative purposes only.
Always seek
immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or
behavioral) in your pets.
While great
care has been made in the creation of these articles, we
cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages.
If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical
advice. |
