Lysine for Feline Upper Respiratory Tract Disease

Drazenovich, T. L., A. J. Fascetti, et al. (2009). "Effects of dietary lysine supplementation on upper respiratory and ocular disease and detection of infectious organisms in cats within an animal shelter." Am J Vet Res 70(11): 1391-400.

Feline herpesvirus (FHV) is a common cause of respiratory infections in cats housed in shelter situations. Cats latently infected with feline herpesvirus are important sources of the virus for cats that are susceptible to infection. Medications that interfere with latency establishment or reactivation of latent infections would be extremely useful, especially in rescue facilities, where animals are often highly stressed, and have variable vaccination history and immune status. Lysine has shown promise in mediating antiviral effects in cats. These researchers investigated the usefulness of dietary supplementation with lysine for cats in shelters to decrease incidence of infection and detection of FHV shedding. Using 261 adult cats, basal diets (control group) and diets supplemented with lysine (treated group) were fed for four weeks. Unexpectedly, they found that treated cats were actually more likely to manifest severe disease than untreated controls at certain time points in the study (week 4). In addition, FHV was detected more commonly in treated cats (found in week 2 only). A confounding factor was that cats in both groups were also allowed access to commercial diets when hospitalized for illness in addition to the control and test diets. The researchers concluded that continuous dietary supplementation with lysine did not successfully control respiratory disease in a shelter situation, and is not an optimal use of funds in rescue facilities. Bolus treatment of cats with lysine may provide better plasma lysine levels than continuous dietary supplementation, and may provide more beneficial effects.
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Related articles:
Maggs, D. J., J. E. Sykes, et al. (2007). "Effects of dietary lysine supplementation in cats with enzootic upper respiratory disease." J Feline Med Surg 9(2): 97-108.
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Rees, T. M. and J. L. Lubinski (2008). "Oral supplementation with L-lysine did not prevent upper respiratory infection in a shelter population of cats." J Feline Med Surg 10(5): 510-3.
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Cat Health News from the Winn Feline Foundation 2009-11-12 11:00:00

Dinnage, J.D., J.M. Scarlett, and J.R. Richards, Descriptive epidemiology of feline upper respiratory tract disease in an animal shelter. J Feline Med Surg, 2009. 11(10): p. 816-25.

Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) is a common disease in cats and can spread quickly among cats residing in animal shelters. These infections cause suffering, consume vital personnel and financial resources, and limit adoptions. In a large urban shelter in the northeast United States, 531 kittens, 701 litters, and 2,203 adult cats were observed during their stays on a daily basis over a period of 50 weeks for signs of URTD. The median lengths of stay for adult cats and kittens were 5 and 4 days, respectively. Approximately 1/3 of the cats exhibited signs of infectious respiratory disease. Regardless of age group, the probability of developing URTD rose steadily with increasing time spent in the shelter. The probability of exhibiting signs remained low until day 6 and then rose steadily to where by day 14, the cumulative probabilities had risen to 84% (litters), 86% (individual kittens), and 80% (adult cats). In different categories, adult cats over 11 years of age had a significantly higher risk of URTD than younger cats. Neutered males cats had higher rates of URTD than spayed females, and purebred cats were at higher risk than ones of mixed breeding. Strays were more likely to have URTD than owner-surrendered cats. The study documented the strong association between the length of the residence in a shelter and the risk of developing URTD. The results suggest shelters should focus efforts and programs at minimizing the length of time cats spend in a shelter. [VT]
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Related articles:
Zicola, A., et al., Feline herpesvirus 1 and feline calicivirus infections in a heterogeneous cat population of a rescue shelter. J Feline Med Surg, 2009.
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Edwards, D.S., et al., Risk factors for time to diagnosis of feline upper respiratory tract disease in UK animal adoption shelters. Prev Vet Med, 2008. 87(3-4): p. 327-39.
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Understanding Chronic Respiratory Disease in Cats

Johnson, L.R. and P.H. Kass, Effect of sample collection methodology on nasal culture results in cats. Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery, 2009. 11(8): p. 645-649.

Feline chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disease in cats with an unknown etiology. A number of studies have indicated that most cases of upper respiratory disease in the cat are complicated by secondary bacterial infections. Empiric antibiotic therapy is frequently employed to treat feline CRS. This study evaluated the effect of sampling method on culture results in 44 cats. The results indicated that aerobic and anaerobic cultures were positive significantly more often from nasal flush samples than from tissue biopsy samples. Culture results did not differ for Mycoplasma species between flush and biopsy samples though there was discordancy in 8 of 44 sample pairs for Mycoplasma species. This indicates that a failure to culture Mycoplasma species from a nasal flush might not be a true reflection of the absence of Mycoplasma species in the nasal cavity since a tissue sample may be required for isolation of the organism. Nasal flush is the preferred technique though for determining presence in feline nasal disease of potentially pathogenic bacterial organisms. [VT]
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Berryessa, N.A., et al., Microbial culture of blood samples and serologic testing for bartonellosis in cats with chronic rhinosinusitis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2008. 233(7): p. 1084-1089.
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Ruch-Gallie, R.A., et al., Efficacy of amoxycillin and azithromycin for the empirical treatment of shelter cats with suspected bacterial upper respiratory infections. Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery, 2008. 10(6): p. 542-550.
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Herpesvirus Infections in Cats

Westermeyer, H. D., S. M. Thomasy, et al. (2009). "Assessment of viremia associated with experimental primary feline herpesvirus infection or presumed herpetic recrudescence in cats." American Journal of Veterinary Research 70(1): 99-104.

Feline herpesvirus-1 is associated with respiratory disease, often in kittens. Most infected cats remain latently infected for life; these latent infections may reactivate during times of stress. While herpesviruses in other species commonly spread to other tissues in infected animals via the bloodstream, this appears to be infrequent in cats. These researchers investigated the occurrence of virus in the blood of infected cats during acute infection, as well as during reactivation of latent infections. Following infection of six cats with FHV-1, virus was detected in the blood for up to two weeks post-infection. However, virus was not detected in the blood of 34 shelter cats, 25 of whom had evidence of FHV-associated disease and tested positive for the virus on conjunctival samples, using either virus isolation or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. The authors conclude there may be a brief period of viremia in cats following acute infection, but none associated with reactivation of latent infection. [MK]
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Related articles:
Maggs, D., M. Lappin, et al. (1999). "Evaluation of serologic and viral detection methods for diagnosing feline herpesvirus-1 infection in cats with acute respiratory tract or chronic ocular disease." J Amer Vet Med Assoc 214(4): 502.
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Bannasch, M. and J. Foley (2005). "Epidemiologic evaluation of multiple respiratory pathogens in cats in animal shelters." J Fel Med Surg 7(2): 109-119.
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Chronic sinusitis and Bartonella in Cats

Berryessa NA, Johnson LR, Kasten RW, Chomel BB. Microbial culture of blood samples and serologic testing for bartonellosis in cats with chronic rhinosinusitis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2008;233(7):1084-1089.

Chronic rhinosinutitis (CRS) is a frequent and frustrating medical disorder of cats. A common finding is excessive accumulation of nasal mucus along with sneezing, nasal discharge, and turbinate bone damage. The underlying cause for this disease is most likely multifactorial and due to a mix of a viral infection, secondary bacterial infection, and a poorly developed immune response. Treatment has primarily been directed at the result of the disease instead of potential causes. Bartonella are blood borne organisms most likely transmitted to cats through exposure to flea feces. Bartonella have been implicated in nasal inflammation in small animals and often private clinicians will test for the organism along with treating with azithromycin on the assumption that Bartonella is present. This study consisted of 4 groups of cats. The first group (19 cats) was composed of cats with CRS whose diagnosis was based on having a mucopurulent discharge longer than 3 months. The remaining 3 control groups were cats with other nasal diseases (Group 2: 10 cats), cats with systemic disease with no nasal disease (Group 3: 15 cats), and healthy cats (Group 4: 15 cats). All cats in the study had serologic testing for Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae and microbial cultures of blood samples performed. In those cats where nasal disease was evaluated, a biopsy sample was taken for histologic examination and another biopsy sample saved for PCR assay to detect Bartonella. The results of the study showed no significant differences in seropositivity or culture results in cats with CRS compared to the results of the 3 control groups. A positive serologic test for Bartonella would most likely indicate exposure and not presence of infection from the organism. In addition, the PCR assays of the nasal tissue samples were negative indicating that Bartonella organisms do not play an important role in the pathogenesis of CRS as demonstrated in these cats. One limitation of the study was the small number of cats enrolled. The authors do recommend a continued need to look for an association between Bartonella and other chronic inflammatory diseases in cats. [VT]
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Related articles:
Johnson L, Foley J, DeCock H, al e. Assessment of infectious organisms associated with severe chronic rhinosinusitis in cats. J Amer Vet Med Assoc. 2005;227(4):579-585.
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Quimby JM, Elston T, Hawley J, Brewer M, Miller A, Lappin MR. Evaluation of the association of Bartonella species, feline herpesvirus 1, feline calicivirus, feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus with chronic feline gingivostomatitis. J Feline Med Surg. Feb 2008;10(1):66-72.
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