Mycobacterial infections in cats (and dogs) – focusing on tuberculosis (2020)
Overview
This talk will explore the growing recognition of zoonotic and nosocomial mycobacterial infections in pet cats (and dogs) in the UK.
Recent data shows that nearly 1% of feline tissue biopsies sent for routine pathology exhibit changes consistent with mycobacterial infection. Of these, approximately 35% are tuberculosis (TB) cases—20% caused by Mycobacterium microti (the vole bacillus) and 15% by Mycobacterium bovis. These infections are most commonly cutaneous and/or involve local lymph nodes, particularly the submandibular and popliteal nodes.
Diagnosis can be complex, often involving Ziehl-Neelsen staining, specialist culture, PCR testing, and IFN-gamma release assays (IGRA).
The webinar will also review management options, including the use of triple-drug therapy over 4–6 months, which has been associated with long-term remission in over 70% of cases.
However, treatment raises important considerations:
- Mycobacterium bovis is notifiable in the UK
- TB is potentially zoonotic
- Risk assessment must consider the cat’s clinical status, exposure to immunosuppressed individuals, treatment costs, toxicity, and owner compliance
Presenters
Professor Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore BSc(Hon), BVM&S, PhD, MANZCVS (Feline), FHEA, FRSB, FRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Feline Medicine
Professor Danièlle Gunn-Moore
Professor Danièlle Gunn-Moore graduated from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS), University of Edinburgh in 1991, receiving the prestigious Dick Vet Gold Medal. After a year in small animal practice, she joined The Feline Centre at the University of Bristol, first as the Feline Advisory Bureau Scholar, then as the Duphar Feline Fellow, and completed a PhD on Feline Infectious Peritonitis in 1997.
Following a period as a lecturer in veterinary pathology at Bristol, she returned to Edinburgh, where she established the Feline Clinic and was appointed Professor of Feline Medicine in 2006.
An internationally recognised leader in feline medicine, she has published over 130 peer-reviewed research papers, as well as numerous reviews and book chapters. She has lectured extensively around the world and received several major awards, including:
- BSAVA Woodrow Award (2009)
- ISFM/Hill’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Feline Medicine (2011)
- FECAVA Award for Most Original Paper (2016)
- Fellowship of the RCVS (2017)
In 2012, students at the Royal Dick School voted her “The clinician I would most like to be.”
At home, Danièlle shares her life with her husband Frank, a 20-year-old black cat named Sheba-Ardbeg, and a playful Maine Coon kitten named Brora.
