Leptospirosis in Cats: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

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    Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infection that can be passed on from animals to humans. It is caused by spirochete (corkscrew-shaped) bacteria of the genus Leptospira, which causes flu-like symptoms, Weil’s syndrome (jaundice, kidney failure, bleeding, myocarditis, and arrhythmias), meningitis and pulmonary hemorrhage in people.

    There are more than 250 pathogenic (disease-causing) serotypes of Leptospira.

    Distribution

    Leptospirosis has a global distribution but is most prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical areas with heavy rainfall as well as developing countries. Common areas include Latin America, the Indian subcontinent, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia and Australasia, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.

    Transmission

    Commonly affected animals include rodents, opossums, skunks, raccoons, possums, cattle, deer, sheep, horses, and dogs. Farm animals are a common source of leptospirosis in humans.

    Transmission occurs via urine-oral, direct contact or inhalation. Bacteria are shed in an infected animal’s urine, which contaminates bodies of water and soil. Outbreaks can occur after heavy rain or flooding.

    • Oral: Consumption of contaminated prey, food or water.
    • Direct contact: Bacteria from contaminated urine, soil or water that enters the body via breaks in the skin or through the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, gums) or during mutual grooming.
    • Inhalation: Aerosol infection can occur if the cat inhales bacteria from a contaminated source such as soil.

    Clinical illness is rare in cats, however, it is now thought that leptospirosis can lead to chronic kidney disease in some cats. 

    Once inside the cat, the bacteria migrate through the bloodstream and lymphatic tissue and rapidly spread throughout the body where it invades the organs and tissues. By 8 hours, the number of bacteria present has doubled.

    Some cats will maintain bacteria numbers, the cat continually sheds bacteria in the urine which goes on to infect other animals or humans. Bacteria remain viable in the environment for weeks or months.

    Symptoms

    The incubation period is 2-24 days, although most infected cats remain asymptomatic. Leptospirosis is a multisystemic disease with a range of possible symptoms depending on the organ(s) affected, the age and the immune status of the cat. The disease occurs in two phases:

    Phase 1 (acute):

    Phase two (immune):

    • Jaundice (yellow gums)
    • Speckled gums due to thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets)
    • Eye discharge
    • Nasal discharge
    • Increased thirst and urination followed by absent urination as the kidneys fail
    • Miscarriage in pregnant females

    Diagnosis

    The veterinarian will perform a complete physical examination of your cat and obtain a medical history.

    Diagnostic workup:

    Baseline tests: Complete blood count, biochemical profile and urinalysis to evaluate the overall health of the cat. These may reveal dehydration, low blood platelets, elevated BUN or liver enzymes.

    Microscopic agglutination test (MAT): This is the most common test used in the diagnosis of leptospirosis. The test detects antibodies specific to the Leptospira bacteria. Two tests are run two weeks apart, which should show an increase in antibodies (four-fold).

    Polymerase chain reaction (PCR): A test that takes a small sample of DNA and amplifies it millions of times to identify the pathogen.

    Cultures: Samples of urine and blood are cultured to detect the strain of bacteria and in some cases, its sensitivity to different antibiotics.

    Treatment

    Because of the zoonotic nature of leptospirosis, great care must be taken when caring for an infected cat. Wear protective gloves when handling any fluids or discharge, such as vomit and cat urine.

    Antibiotics are used to kill the bacteria; treatment occurs in two phases — penicillins to treat circulating Leptospira followed by tetracyclines. Antibiotic therapy lasts 3-4 weeks.

    Hospital care will be necessary for cats with severe leptospirosis. Supportive care may include fluid therapy to treat dehydration as well as nutritional support if the cat is not eating. Cats with severely low blood platelets may need a blood transfusion.

    Disinfection

    Leptospirosis does not live on dry surfaces for long but can survive in water for up to six months. The following disinfectants are effective against leptospirosis.

    • Bleach (sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite or sodium dichloroisocyanurate) – Dilute at a rate of 1:10
    • F10-Benzalkonium chloride and polyhexanide
    • Virox, Accel – Accelerated hydrogen peroxide

    Author

    • Julia Wilson, 'Cat World' Founder

      Julia Wilson is the founder of Cat-World, and has researched and written over 1,000 articles about cats. She is a cat expert with over 20 years of experience writing about a wide range of cat topics, with a special interest in cat health, welfare and preventative care. Julia lives in Sydney with her family, four cats and two dogs. Full author bio