IN ANIMALS continued
Kennels and other situations of high population density are a risk factor for Bordetella bronchiseptica transmission in dogs
• Dogs with clinical signs typically present with acute tracheobronchitis, manifesting with a dry hacking cough. Bronchopneumonia has been reported, with puppies and young dogs particularly at risk. 8 • Affected cats usually present with acute upper respiratory tract signs of variable severity, including sneezing, ocular discharge, and coughing. Coughing is less common in affected cats compared to dogs. Bronchopneumonia may be seen in young kittens. 6 • Prolonged shedding post-recovery is common in both dogs (14 weeks) 9 and cats (19 weeks). 10 DIAGNOSIS • Diagnosis of B. bronchiseptica was traditionally reliant upon bacterial culture, however PCR testing, frequently as part of a multiplex panel of respiratory pathogens, has become more common. • Due to the high rate of carriage of B. bronchiseptica in healthy dogs, PCR results should be interpreted in the context of relevant historical and clinical findings. Dogs may also test positive for several weeks following vaccination with modified live mucosal vaccines. PREVENTION • Vaccination against B. bronchiseptica is available for dogs in Australia, however no feline vaccine is available. Both modified live mucosal vaccines (intranasal or oral administration) and inactivated cell antigen extract parenteral (injectable) vaccines are available for dogs.
• Bordetella bronchiseptica has been demonstrated to survive and even proliferate in the environment under the right conditions. 2 A role for environmental amoeba in the maintenance of B. bronchiseptica has been proposed, however the epidemiological or clinical significance of this is not known. 3 PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS • No peer-reviewed Australian-specific prevalence data is available for B. bronchiseptica infection in dogs, however prevalence in clinical submissions to a commercial reference laboratory in Australia was reported as 12.3% in dogs (n=122). 4 The same laboratory reported a prevalence in clinical submissions of 6.9% (n=521) for cats, 4 while a more recent publication reported a prevalence of approximately 10% in submitted feline samples. 5 • Risk factors for infection and clinical disease in dogs include young age and increased population density. • One of the most significant risk factors for feline upper respiratory tract disease (including B. bronchiseptica ) is time spent in shelters. Other environments where cats are housed at high densities and multi-cat households have demonstrated higher prevalence of B. bronchiseptica infection. 6,7 • Data suggests contact with dogs with respiratory disease is a risk factor for B. bronchiseptica infection in cats. 6 CLINICAL DISEASE • Asymptomatic carriage in dogs and cats is common, however multiple studies have demonstrated higher prevalence in animals with acute upper respiratory tract signs.
CONTENTS
Companion Animal Zoonoses Guidelines 16
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