Symptoms and treatment of chlamydia in cats, danger to humans

Chlamydia in cats is an infectious disease caused by Chlamydia psittaci, a bacterium capable of parasitizing inside cells. The pathogen is highly virulent; according to statistics, about 10% of cats are infected with the pathogenic microorganism. The disease occurs in two stages - latent and the stage of clinical manifestations, which is characterized by the appearance of specific symptoms. Lack of adequate therapy can lead to dangerous complications. In addition, humans are also susceptible to infection. Modern veterinary medicine pays great attention to this disease: large-scale vaccination of pets and preventive information work with cat owners is carried out.

How does infection occur?

The development of inflammation of the conjunctival membrane of the eyes in a pet is provoked by the bacterium Chlamydophila Felis. A cat becomes infected by hunting birds or mice, or by contact with feces, saliva or urine of a sick rodent or bird. Infection with another microbe, Chlamydophila psittaci, which leads to damage to internal organs, also occurs through the genital tract. A kitten can become infected with chlamydia during birth or in the womb.

Pets whose owners never let their pets outside also get sick. The causative agent of chlamydia is brought into the room with the owner's shoes, clothes, and bag. Pets walking with stray cats become infected much more often. Chlamydia has the same cell membrane as gram-negative bacteria, but its elementary bodies, like those of viruses, consist of a single DNA molecule. These microorganisms are dangerous for a person with weak immunity caring for an infected animal.

In the external environment, chlamydia lives up to one and a half days. Parasites die within a minute if they fall into boiling water. Destroy harmful microbes:

• ultra-violet rays;
• chloramine;
• phenol.

When chlamydia enters the body of a cat, it penetrates into the epithelial cells of the mucous membranes of the stomach, intestines, bladder, oral cavity and pharynx, into the conjunctival membrane, where they destroy their protection and begin to multiply, which occurs in the form of binary fission.

Attention! The latent period of infection with intracellular microbes lasts 1-2 weeks.

Possible complications

The disease can begin the process of infection of the brain and spinal cord, any internal organ, lymph nodes or joints. In addition, your pet may develop pneumonia, which most often ends in death.

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Infection of the spinal cord and brain is also fatal. If you delayed treatment or the therapy was incorrect, most likely, females and males will subsequently not be able to have offspring (they will be infertile).

Forms of chlamydia in cats

Chlamydia does not make itself felt immediately after infection; the first signs can be noticed in your pet after 5–7 days. In an animal with a strong immune system, the pathology is hidden.

According to the severity of the disease

In the latent (latent) form of chlamydia, when the microbes do not multiply, the cat behaves as usual, the disease does not cause her any discomfort. However, she is a carrier of the disease and can infect other cats living with her.

Acute chlamydia is most pronounced, but over time the signs of the disease become less noticeable, and the pathology becomes chronic. First, the animal’s body temperature rises, then discharge from the eyes and nose begins. Usually one eye is affected first, and after 2-3 weeks the second. When a bacterial infection occurs, crusts form and fill with pus.

The cat has a cough and runny nose. This form causes the cat to give birth to weakened kittens, which often die immediately. The reproductive function of the animal is impaired. Kittens and young cats with chlamydia are at risk of developing pulmonary edema, which is difficult to treat.

Chronic form of chlamydia. Signs that could alert the owner: periodically recurring cough and runny nose, prolonged tearing of the eyes (if the possibility of entropion is excluded).

By area of ​​damage

Let's take a closer look at the effect of chlamydia on each of the body systems.

1. Eyes. Young pets under the age of 2-3 years often suffer from chlamydia. The pathogen infects various organs, and primarily suffers mucous membrane of the eyelids, which manifests itself:
   • lacrimation;

   swelling of the conjunctival membrane;

2. photophobia;
3. the formation of crusts with pus.

Inflammation of the mucous membrane continues for several months and, in the absence of drug therapy, develops into chronic conjunctivitis. Neonatal conjunctivitis develops when kittens are still in the womb of a sick mother and also pass through the birth canal. They often die immediately.

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4. Lungs. Intracellular pathogens penetrate the respiratory system and cause pneumonia. The disease develops in a latent form. It is very difficult to identify it, since the inflammation affects small areas of the lung, and breathing is not particularly disturbed. Pneumonia caused by chlamydia in an animal resembles a common cold. Symptoms:
   cough;
5. discharge of mucus from the nose;
6. elevated temperature;
7. slight shortness of breath.
8. Genital organs. The cat's cervix becomes inflamed and the pregnancy ends in miscarriage. In males, the pathological process occurs in the testes and affects the head of the penis, which can lead to infertility.
9. Excretory system. The bladder and urethra are affected, leading to severe pain and frequent urge. The inflammation sometimes spreads to the kidneys, which is dangerous due to the formation of stones.
10. Digestive system. In the intestinal form of the pathology, characteristic signs do not appear, but a healthy animal becomes infected through feces and saliva. In most cases, chlamydia is associated with a secondary infection.

Attention! Blood from chlamydia can spread the infection throughout the animal’s body. The generalized form of pathology (multiple damage to organs and tissues) ends in death in most cases.

With chlamydia, a cat's immunity is greatly weakened. For this reason, viruses and microbes are sent into the body. In the absence of treatment, which is associated with an unexpressed manifestation of the disease, death is possible.

General information about the disease

Chlamydia is an infectious disease. The causative agent is chlamydia, an intracellular parasite. They can live in the cells of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, eyes, gastrointestinal tract, rectum and urethra. Chlamydia affects the epithelium and immune cells.

They neutralize cellular defenses to ensure normal reproduction. Every two days, an infected cell releases new parasites. Thus, chlamydia spreads throughout the body.

Important! Chlamydia react sensitively to high temperatures and exposure to phenol solution.

Symptoms

At the initial stages, chlamydia can be confused with a cold or other pathology, but often it is completely asymptomatic, especially in the digestive tract. There are no signs of the disease, but chlamydia comes out along with the cat’s feces and saliva and gets into the environment.

The pet does not gain weight, looks exhausted, sometimes limps, and refuses its favorite food. If chlamydia becomes chronic, the cat's eyes are constantly red, and a reddish-brick-colored crust forms in the corners.

The acute form of the pathology is more pronounced; the clinical picture depends on which organs are affected by chlamydia.

Attention! Ignoring signs of damage to the organs of vision leads to inflammation of the cornea or the appearance of cataracts, which often ends in blindness.

Treatment of uncomplicated infection

Treatment of urogenital chlamydia depends on the severity and extent of the process. If, against the background of infection with C. trachomatis, inflammatory diseases of the lower genital tract are detected - inflammation of the cervix (cervicitis), urethra (urethritis) or epididymis (epididymitis), then they speak of an uncomplicated chlamydial infection. Then the drugs of choice are azithromycin or doxycycline. By the way, studies have proven that azithromycin and doxycycline are equally effective. The effectiveness of first-line drugs in the treatment of uncomplicated urogenital chlamydia is 97–98%. Dual therapy with azithromycin and doxycycline is recommended for simultaneous infection with chlamydia and gonorrhea.

An alternative treatment regimen for chlamydial infection that is indicated when first-line drugs are intolerant or ineffective includes erythromycin or levofloxacin or ofloxacin. Sometimes preference is given to josamycin. The wide availability of generic azithromycin, moderate cost and high compliance (voluntary adherence by the patient to the prescribed treatment regimen) have become the basis for their mass use. Azithromycin is considered to be a more cost-effective treatment for chlamydia infection than alternative drugs. Erythromycin is less effective than azithromycin and doxycycline, mainly due to frequent gastrointestinal side effects, which may cause decreased compliance. Levofloxacin and ofloxacin have comparable efficacy to azithromycin, but are more expensive. Other fluoroquinolones have either been found to be ineffective in treating chlamydial infections or their use in such cases has not yet been fully studied.

Diagnosis and treatment

Some signs of chlamydia resemble those of other diseases. Not only with conjunctivitis, but also with rhinotracheitis, the cat coughs and redness of the eyes is observed. Pneumonia occurs in an animal both with a cold and with chlamydia infection. To accurately determine the pathology of a pet, various methods are used - from clinical methods to laboratory tests.

What tests will the veterinarian prescribe?

At the appointment, the veterinarian will ask the owner to take a blood test. In addition, they will take a swab or scraping from the cat’s throat, which helps determine the presence of inclusions of infectious agents. An enzyme immunoassay test is performed to detect antigens to harmful microorganisms and confirm infection with chlamydia. Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, the type of chlamydia is determined.

If damage to the respiratory organs is suspected, an x-ray of the cat's chest is taken.

Treatment regimen

Means to eliminate infection and fight chlamydia are prescribed by a veterinarian based on the results of tests and a visual examination of the cat. In the absence of complicated pneumonia, the pet is left at home and given medications prescribed by the doctor, being sure to follow the dosage suggested by the specialist. Treatment without medications is impossible.

Attention! If there are several kittens in the house, antibiotics for chlamydia are prescribed to all.

The treatment regimen includes the following types of drugs.

Probability of recovery

If the owner of a sick cat treats it strictly according to the regimen drawn up by the veterinarian, without skipping pills and injections, chlamydia will recede. The initial form of the disease can be successfully treated.

Important! The immunity of a pet that has suffered a pathology is greatly weakened, and the animal can become infected again.

First pharmaceutical aid

Pharmacists can easily “calculate” the treatment regimen for chlamydia in a prescription. Often, in addition to antibiotics, it includes local antiseptic drugs (vaginal suppositories, irrigation solutions), as well as probiotics. The pharmacist's task is to tactfully serve the patient without revealing that his secret has been exposed, and, if necessary, to offer a synonymous replacement. It would seem that the role of the leader is over. But it was not there.

There is a special category of patients among pharmacy clients who exhibit excessive zeal. They have a detrimental tendency to modify the course of treatment prescribed by the doctor. The ever-memorable compliance inexorably falls down and drags down the effectiveness of anti-chlamydial therapy. At this moment, a lot depends on the chief captain, who can warn the client in time against a rash step. And the small contribution of an ordinary pharmacist to the treatment of a stubborn disease may force the statistics to change vector.

Caring for a cat when sick

Pets infected with chlamydia are isolated from other pets and not allowed outside.

Change in feeding

To prevent the development of dysbiosis, yoghurts and other fermented milk products containing lactobacilli are added to the cat’s diet. The pet should be given chicken broth and liquid medicated food, since it is easier to add drugs in solid form, previously crushed into powder.

Personal hygiene

The room where an animal infected with chlamydia is located must be treated with disinfectants. It is necessary to more carefully monitor the hygiene of a sick cat and clean the litter box more often. The owner must clean his shoes when entering the apartment, and be sure to wash his hands with soap after contact with the pet.

It is advisable not to disturb the sick animal too much (play less with it and keep small children away from the family pet).

Prevention

It is impossible to completely protect your pet from infection by harmful microorganisms. Animals are not immune to the disease caused by chlamydia.

Simple preventive measures can reduce the risk of infection:

1. Cats need to be examined more often. This is especially true if pets are attracted to mating and taken to exhibitions.
2. It is necessary to ensure that your pet does not play with stray animals, does not chase birds, or catch rodents.
3. To prevent infection from the street, owners should thoroughly wash their hands and keep their shoes clean.

Attention! Vaccines help protect your pet from chlamydia.

Vaccines

Vaccines for cats against chlamydia come in two types: monovalent and polyvalent. The second type of drugs allows you to protect your pet from several common cat diseases and is a more preferable option for routine cat vaccination.

Protection against chlamydia only:

• Katavac Chlamydia.
• ChlamiCon.

Complex protection (chlamydia, panleukopenia, calcivirosis, rhinotracheitis):

• Multifel-4.
• Felovax-4.
• Vitafelvac.

Danger to humans

If you ignore hygiene when caring for a sick pet, household members can become infected with chlamydia infection. The pathology manifests itself in the form of inflammation of the conjunctiva, but this only happens when the immune system is weakened. Chlamydia can lead to infertility in women. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid any contact with sick kittens by pregnant women, babies and the elderly.

Chlamydia, which is chronic, is dangerous, since often none of the family members even suspect that the cat is sick. This gives the pathogen more time to spread to a family member or another cat.

Important! The causative agents of chlamydia in cats and dogs are different, so a cat cannot infect a dog with chlamydia.