Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria can Cause Disseminated Mycobacteriosis in Cats

H Pekkarinen; N Airas; L E Savolainen; M Rantala; S Kilpinen; O Miuku; M Speeti; V Karkamo; S Malkamäki; M Vaara; A Sukura; P Syrjä

doi:10.1016/j.jcpa.2018.02.002

Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria can Cause Disseminated Mycobacteriosis in Cats

J Comp Pathol. 2018 Apr:160:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2018.02.002. Epub 2018 Mar 27.

Authors

H Pekkarinen¹, N Airas², L E Savolainen³, M Rantala⁴, S Kilpinen⁴, O Miuku⁴, M Speeti⁵, V Karkamo⁶, S Malkamäki², M Vaara³, A Sukura², P Syrjä²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 66, University of Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: henna.pekkarinen@helsinki.fi.
² Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 66, University of Helsinki, Finland.
³ Department of Clinical Microbiology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, HUSLAB, Finland.
⁴ Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 57, University of Helsinki, Finland.
⁵ Herttoniemi Veterinary Clinic, Hiihtomäentie 35, Finland.
⁶ Pathology Research Unit, Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Mustialankatu 3, Helsinki, Finland.

Abstract

Mycobacteriosis caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is a rising concern in human medicine both in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. In cats, mycobacteriosis caused by NTM is considered mostly to be a focal or dermal infection, with disseminated disease mostly caused by Mycobacterium avium. We describe three cases of disseminated mycobacteriosis in cats, caused by Mycobacterium malmoense, Mycobacterium branderi/shimoidei and M. avium, with no identified underlying immunosuppression. In all cases, extracellular mycobacteria were seen in the pulmonary epithelium, intestinal lumen and glomerular tufts, which could affect the shedding of the organism. The present study highlights the importance of mycobacteriosis as a differential even in immunocompetent animals. Considering the close relationship of owners and pets and the potential presence of free mycobacteria in secretions, cats should be considered as a possible environmental reservoir for mycobacteria.

Keywords: cat; mycobacteriosis; non-tuberculous mycobacteria.

MeSH terms

Animals
Cat Diseases / microbiology*
Cat Diseases / pathology*
Cats
Female
Male
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / microbiology
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / veterinary*