Cats fed raw diet in the UK confirmed with Mycobacterium bovis
Six clinically sick cats and seven in-contact cats were identified with evidence of Mycobacterium bovis infection. Affected cats had clinical signs of pyogranulomatous lesions, lymphadenopathy and M bovis. infection was confirmed, most through PCR. Five clinical cases were either too sick to treat or deteriorated despite therapy, giving a mortality rate of 83%. Lifestyle investigations revealed that the cats and were fed a commercially available raw food product produced by a single manufacturer. The Food Standards Agency, Animal & Plant Health Agency, Public Health England and the food manufacturer concerned have been notified/informed. Other possible sources of exposure for these cats to M bovis were explored and were excluded, including wildlife contact, access to raw milk, the presence of rodent populations inside the buildings in which the cats lived and exposure to known infectious humans.
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