Mycobacterium microti - any experience?

Re: Mycobacterium microti - any experience?

Stephen Cahalan — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 11:02:05 GMT

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cases-of-tb-in-domestic-cats-and-cat-to-human-transmission-risk-to-public-very-low

Hi Neil, Thanks for the update. I've been away in the states, so this passed me by. This zoonosis incident refers to M. bovis and not M. microti, but still illustrates the risk for spread to humans.The link is above.

I agree with you, one simply cannot guarantee a risk free animal in these cases.

Re: Mycobacterium microti - any experience?

Neil Wheadon — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 08:18:38 GMT

[quote user="Stephen Cahalan"]As far as I'm aware, all members of the tuberculosis complex pose potential zoonotic risks. However; to date, there have been no reported cases of cats passing tuberculosis onto humans.[/quote]

Langford are dealing with quite a few and are very helpful. I have been told that there have been 2 reported cases of zoonotic transfers in the past 6 months, is this correct?. Having just diagnosed one of these, the owner elected for euthanasia as I simply couldn't guarentee no spread to the family from an open foot wound.

Neil

Re: Mycobacterium microti - any experience?

Nicola Lawlor — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 23:01:04 GMT

Brilliant, thank you so much for those links and the help.

Re: Mycobacterium microti - any experience?

Andrew Kent — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 22:42:05 GMT

Hi Nicola,

I think these are tough cases to know what to do with! Danielle Gunn-Moore is the queen of these diseases and is usually happy to give advice. She wrote some review articles in Vet Times earlier this year, the treatment section of which is here

Also:

Diagnosis section

Epidemiology section

Hope that helps,

Andy

Re: Mycobacterium microti - any experience?

Stephen Cahalan — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 18:51:23 GMT

Hi Nicola,

As far as I'm aware, all members of the tuberculosis complex pose potential zoonotic risks. However; to date, there have been no reported cases of cats passing tuberculosis onto humans.

Regards Treatment, I have an old article (1996 vet rec) from Danielle Gunn Moore where she reports having success with enrofloxacin/ciprofloxacin and clarithromycin in lenghty (up to 5 month) treatments of tuberculosis in cats. I can email you the paper if you like as it's too big to post here.

Maybe an internal medic can give you more up to date tx info?

Here's the ref

Feline tuberculosis: a literature review and discussion of 19 cases caused by an unusual mycobacterial variant, DA Gunn Moore et al, Vet Rec 1996, 138, 53-58