Clamidiosis of cats

Clamidiosis of cats: etiology, clinical picture, diagnostics, treatment and prevention

I.L.Obukhov - Candidate of Biology (VGNKI)

Clamidiosis has extraordinary wide circulation among cats that is connected with existence of the uncontrollable tank of the causative agent of an infection in the nature. It creates continuous threat of emergence of sporadic cases or the disease outbreaks leading to pathology of a respiratory path and reproductive bodies, being shown conjunctivitis, rhinitises, abortions, infertility, the birth of dead or impractical posterity.

In addition, sick cats become a source of the causative agent of an infection of the person, i.e. clamidiosis - an infectious disease which is zooantroponozy.

In the last decades numerous cases of infection of the person by clamidiosis from a sick cat are abroad described. It is confirmed and our data. So, it was proved that drift of the infectious agent in eyes of the young man resulted from close contact with a sick cat.

Hlamidy - unique microorganisms which originally considered as viruses because of their small size, dependence of replication on cells of the owner and intra cytoplasmatic existence. However because of some similarity to gramotritsatelny bacteria and sensitivity to limited quantity of antibiotics them now carry, as a rule, to highly specialized obligate intracellular bacteria.

The causative agent of clamidiosis of cats are representatives of the sort Chlamydia, a type of Chl. psittaci which is characterized by abundance of various clinical forms of course, and also generally frequent synchronization of process of an infection or its latent (hidden) current.

Initial morphological substratum for development of a hlamidiyny infection, are the epitelialny fabrics contacting to environment and possessing high speed of updating.

Hlamidy mainly strike cages of a cylindrical epithelium which at cats covers a mucous membrane of a conjunctiva, areas of a throat, thin department of intestines, a stomach, an urethra, the channel of a neck of a uterus and a rectum.

Having got into an epitelialny cage, hlamidiya show specific activity and neutralize the most important protective mechanism of a cell of the owner, providing itself possibility of further reproduction in cytoplasmatic inclusion.

However hlamidiya breed not only in epitelialny cages, differently there would be a high probability of loss of a microbe an organism. Thereof in the course of evolution these microorganisms adapted to development in cages of immune system of an animal.

At a generalized infection which at cats is observed rather seldom when the activator through blood (the hlamidemiya phenomenon) is brought practically in all internal, joints, a head and spinal cord the illness comes to an end letalno.

Generally the hlamidiozny infection in pure form exists only in an initial stage of its development. Considering that hlamidiya often affect open cavities of an organism where there are other microorganisms, quite often conditionally pathogenic, there is obvious their provocative role. Hlamidy possessing intracellular parasitism, create favorable conditions for development of other microflora at the expense of direct impact on cages of mucous membranes. Thereof the mixed or secondary infection which proceeds much heavier than a disease caused by one activator is formed.

In the last some years careful collecting anamnestichesky data at research of 257 cats and 112 cats with various pathology of respiratory and urogenital paths allowed to establish that infection with clamidiosis occurs air drop and sexually. Elementary little bodies (infectious units of hlamidiya) were revealed at 49% of cats and 42,8% of cats.

At the beginning of a disease usually note slight increase of temperature. The infected cats continue to eat a forage and, as a rule, feel well, despite obvious conjunctival discomfort. Conjunctivitis begins in most cases with one eye, but in some weeks the second eye is surprised.

Conjunctivitis can proceed from several days to several months and quite often accepts a chronic current.

The sharp form of conjunctivitis at clamidiosis, as a rule, has the short incubatory period from 5 to 10 days, beginning with serous allocations from eyes which then pass in слизисто - purulent, owing to a secondary bacterial or virus infection. The conjunctiva giperemiya, i.e. it bright red or brick-red color, usually more intensive in the arches is observed; happen separate vessels are visible also. Hypostasis-hemoz is sometimes noted it.

Chronic conjunctivitis - is very often observed at clamidiosis at cats and cats for which it is characteristic a velvety and weak giperemiya of a conjunctiva of eyelids. Sometimes in corners of eyes small kernels, offices poor are found. Follicular conjunctivitis can develop also.

Pathology of an urogenital path of the hlamidiozny nature made 57,9% and 35,4% at inspection of 126 cats and 48 cats with hlamidiozny conjunctivitis and rhinitis. The most dangerous complication at a chronic hlamidiozny infection at cats and cats is their infertility. At коитусе from the infected cats cats and vice versa catch. The infected channel of a neck of a uterus is the persistiruyushchy tank of hlamidiya and is a source of the causative agent of an infection. At cats of a hlamidiya are localized in seed plants and выделяляются with sperm owing to what, despite long contact with a cat it remains not impregnated. It would be desirable to note also that not always detection of hlamidiya in a conjunctiva was confirmed by their identification in an urogenital path and vice versa.

It is necessary to consider that introduction of hlamidiya to the urinogenital highway is seldom accompanied by noticeable clinical manifestations. The disease more often happens asimptomny or hidden. A half of the infected cats and cats has no clinical manifestations.

Clinical manifestations of a hlamidiyny infection depend on a virulentnost of the activator, duration of stay of hlamidiya in an organism, topography of defeat, expressiveness of local and general reactions of a macroorganism.

Register also hlamidiozny neonatal conjunctivitis. Usually infection of kittens occurs transplatsentarno (through a placenta), or when passing through patrimonial ways of infected mother. Hlamidy can get into any open cavities of fruits and cause infectious pathology. The conjunctival bag and nasal part of a throat therefore at newborns conjunctivitis and the hlamidiyny respiratory infection which usually subsequently is coming to the end with atypical pneumonia develop are most often infected, as a rule.

Chronic conjunctivitis - is very often observed at clamidiosis at cats and cats for which it is characteristic a velvety and weak giperemiya of a conjunctiva of eyelids. Sometimes in corners of eyes small kernels, offices poor are found. Follicular conjunctivitis can develop also.

Pathology of an urogenital path of the hlamidiozny nature made 57,9% and 35,4% at inspection of 126 cats and 48 cats with hlamidiozny conjunctivitis and rhinitis. The most dangerous complication at a chronic hlamidiozny infection at cats and cats is their infertility. At коитусе from the infected cats cats and vice versa catch. The infected channel of a neck of a uterus is the persistiruyushchy tank of hlamidiya and is a source of the causative agent of an infection. At cats of a hlamidiya are localized in seed plants and выделяляются with sperm owing to what, despite long contact with a cat it remains not impregnated. It would be desirable to note also that not always detection of hlamidiya in a conjunctiva was confirmed by their identification in an urogenital path and vice versa.

It is necessary to consider that introduction of hlamidiya to the urinogenital highway is seldom accompanied by noticeable clinical manifestations. The disease more often happens asimptomny or hidden. A half of the infected cats and cats has no clinical manifestations.

Clinical manifestations of a hlamidiyny infection depend on a virulentnost of the activator, duration of stay of hlamidiya in an organism, topography of defeat, expressiveness of local and general reactions of a macroorganism.

Register also hlamidiozny neonatal conjunctivitis. Usually infection of kittens occurs transplatsentarno (through a placenta), or when passing through patrimonial ways of infected mother. Hlamidy can get into any open cavities of fruits and cause infectious pathology. The conjunctival bag and nasal part of a throat therefore at newborns conjunctivitis and the hlamidiyny respiratory infection which usually subsequently is coming to the end with atypical pneumonia develop are most often infected, as a rule.

Feature of the hlamidiozny infection considerably complicating an epidemiological surveillance behind it, the latent current is its often chronic, with the erased clinical picture, or. Therefore, the major stage in system of carrying out veterinary and sanitary actions for timely prevention, and also specific treatment of cat's clamidioses is the earliest and exact laboratory diagnostics of the activator at different forms of a course of an infection.

Orn's stuff" - the first preparation registered in Russia for identification of a hlamidiyny infection at animals. The diagnostic antibodies which are a part of a set, allow to reveal all strains of Chlamydia psittaci and to diagnose both sharp, and a latent form of a disease. By results of broad production tests specificity of this test system on патматериале from different types of birds and mammals made 100% and sensitivity of 87%. Diagnostikum "Hlami Orn" allows to reveal not only the corpuscular anti-genes which are a part of morphological structures of the activator, but also soluble, containing in inclusions. The preparation can be used in any laboratory equipped with a luminescent microscope.

Advantages of use of the Hlami Orn test with monoclonal antibodies are characterized by the following parameters: a) speed - all diagnostic procedure with use of monoclonal antibodies on the average from the moment of a fence of a material before statement of the diagnosis takes no more than 40 min.; b) possibility of interpretation of results on the basis of registration of the elementary and retikulyarny little bodies located inside - and vnekletochno at preservation of high degree of sensitivity and specificity; c) outage of technology of carrying out analysis.

However today one of the most perspective approaches to direct diagnostics of infections should consider specific amplification of nucleinic in vitro acids (in a test tube) and in particular, the most developed option of such amplification - the method of the polimerazny chain reaction (PCR) allowing in a test tube for only some hours to make isolated multiplication (amplification) of any gene or its fragment in many million times.

In sensitivity and specificity of PTsR surpasses all known biochemical and immunofermental methods of laboratory diagnostics of infections as allows to define single copies of the infectious activator in a studied sample of a clinical material. Today we in the CIS registered for the first time test system PTsR for clamidiosis identification at birds and mammals.

For identification of pathogenic microorganisms by the PTsR method it isn't required their reproduction, therefore, it is so possible to diagnose an infection in a latent form and to watch early stages of development of an infection.

At laboratory research of cats and cats with hlamidiozny conjunctivitis the PTsR method, we could track dynamics of elimination (elimination) of the activator from epitelialny cages in the course of active treatment.

The control analysis on curability from clamidiosis from cats or cats needs to be taken in a week after end of a cycle of an antibiotikoterapiya.

When studying biological features of a cat's strain of hlamidiya, the sensitivity range to various preparations of broad antibacterial action was revealed. Considering their farmakodinamichesky features, in etiotropny therapy of cat's clamidiosis antibiotics of a tetracycline row have the greatest value.

At therapy of cat's clamidioses it is necessary to consider the main objective - achievement of clinical and etiologichesky treatment. Therefore at an assessment of efficiency of used remedies of etiotropny therapy the complex of indicators is considered: efficiency of action on in vivo and in vitro hlamidiya, shipping and ability of penetration into cages. Information on a state of health of a cat or cat, possibility of the mixed infection, etc. is important also.

As a rule, studying of in vitro allows to select a remedy, but only the clinical research conducted on strict methodology, allows to receive final results of an assessment of its efficiency.

Three groups are distinguished from etiotropny preparations:

1) antibiotics with weak antikhlamidiyny activity: metronidazole, tsefotaksy;

2) with average activity: тиофеникол, амоксициклин;

3) with the expressed activity: тетрациклины, macroleads, рифампицины, фторхинолоны.

Therapeutic schemes usually vary depending on a form of manifestation, terms of an infection, existence or lack of complications. At the latent or recidivous infection meeting most often or connected with inadequately carried out therapy, it is necessary to carry out active therapy including immunostimulators, oftalmichesky preparations, and sometimes and change of antibiotics. At a chronic infection, development of system pathology or at emergence of complications - except intensive etiotropny therapy the principles of the corresponding pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy are especially widely used.

At hlamidiozny conjunctivitis good effect reached at treatment by oftalmichesky preparations (3% eye tetracycline ointment or 2% eritromitsinovy ointment) in combination with peroralny or intramuscular introduction тетрациклинов within two-three weeks. Thus doses of an antibiotic made: for kittens of 0,5-1,0 g and for adult individuals of 1,0-1,5 g on a course of treatment within 10-14 days.

However it should be noted that antibiotics of a tetracycline row (except вибромицина or doxycycline) form insoluble complexes with calcium and magnesium ions therefore at their application it is necessary to exclude the dairy products containing these elements from a diet of cats.

Along with improvement of etiotropny therapy the great value is attached to search and application of the preparations increasing nonspecific reactivity of an organism.

The most active immunoexcitants making impact on factors of nonspecific immunity, links of humoral and cellular immunity at clamidiosis are preparations - риботан, T - is active, etc.

As spontaneous self-healing is improbable, at clamidiosis of cats active therapy as even the symptomless course of an infection can lead to serious complications is required.

In spite of the fact that diagnostic aids and therapies became in recent years the most effective, prevalence of cat's clamidiosis continues to increase. Therefore, now we developed and approved a vaccine "Hlami Con" against clamidiosis of fur animals, cats and the dogs, made of highly immunogene strains for the first time allocated in Russia from patients with clamidiosis of cats and dogs, cages cultivated on intertwined culture which will allow to protect animals from the causative agent of this infection. Broad clinical tests of this preparation showed that the domestic vaccine possesses higher immunogenicity, than its foreign analogs.

In the conclusion, it would be desirable to note that it is necessary to provide the reliable monitoring system behind clamidiosis of cats and cats which has to include:

1) vaccinal prevention;

2) ensuring early diagnostics;

3) carrying out early and effective treatment of sick animals;

4) preventive inspection of all breeding individuals.