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Cited by 44Gut microbiota and healthEscherichia coli research studiesClostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research

Mortality in Kittens Is Associated with a Shift in Ileum Mucosa-Associated Enterococci from Enterococcus hirae to Biofilm-Forming Enterococcus faecalis and Adherent Escherichia coli

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Ghosh, Anuradha, Borst, Luke, Stauffer, Stephen H., Suyemoto, Mitsu, Moisan, Peter, Zurek, Ludek, Gookin, Jody L.·2013·Journal of Clinical Microbiology
DOI 10.1128/jcm.00481-13PMC PMC3889735
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Abstract

Approximately 15% of foster kittens die before 8 weeks of age, with most of these kittens demonstrating clinical signs or postmortem evidence of enteritis. While a specific cause of enteritis is not determined in most cases, these kittens are often empirically administered probiotics that contain enterococci. The enterococci are members of the commensal intestinal microbiota but also can function as opportunistic pathogens. Given the complicated role of enterococci in health and disease, it would be valuable to better understand what constitutes a “healthy” enterococcal community in these kittens and how this microbiota is impacted by severe illness. In this study, we characterized the ileum mucosa-associated enterococcal community of 50 apparently healthy and 50 terminally ill foster kittens. In healthy kittens,Enterococcus hirae was the most common species of ileum mucosa-associated enterococci and was often observed to adhere extensively to the small intestinal epithelium. These E. hirae isolates generally lacked virulence traits. In contrast, non-E. hirae enterococci, notably Enterococcus faecalis, were more commonly isolated from the ileum mucosa of kittens with terminal illness. Isolates of E. faecalis had numerous virulence traits and multiple antimicrobial resistances. Moreover, the attachment of Escherichia coli to the intestinal epithelium was significantly associated with terminal illness and was not observed in any kitten with adherent E. hirae. These findings identify a significant difference in the species of enterococci cultured from the ileum mucosa of kittens with terminal illness compared to the species cultured from healthy kittens. In contrast to prior case studies that associated enteroadherent E. hirae with diarrhea in young animals, these controlled studies identified E. hirae as more often isolated from healthy kittens and adherence of E. hirae as more common and extensive in healthy kittens than in sick kittens.

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  • About 15% of fostered kittens die before 8 weeks of age, mostly due to diarrhoea and with post-mortem findings of enteritis.

    “it has been reported that about 15% of fostered kittens die before 8 weeks of age, mostly due to diarrhoea and with post-mortem findings of enteritis.46”

    From Feline neonatology: From birth to commencement of weaning – what to know for successful management (2022) · cites this paper as [46]

    The Introduction reports that about 15% of fostered kittens die or are euthanized because of illness before eight weeks of age, and that the majority have signs of diarrhea or post-mortem evidence of enteritis. It does not say they die *because of* diarrhea or that most have both findings; the Discussion explicitly says the study did not establish their cause of death. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [47]47. Institute CLS. 2010. M100-S20, Performance standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, vol. 30. CLSI, Wayne, PA.
  2. [48]48. U.S. Department of Agriculture ARS. 2012. 2010 NARMS Animal Arm Annual Report. In Bacteria NARMSE (ed.), Athens, GA.

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Authors
Ghosh, A., Borst, L., Stauffer, S. H., Suyemoto, M., Moisan, P., Zurek, L., & Gookin, J. L.
Affiliations
  • Kansas State University (US)
  • North Carolina State University (US)
  • North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (US)
  • Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Published
2013-11
Volume
51
Issue
11
Pages
3567-3578
ISSN
  • 0095-1137 (ISSN-L)
  • 1098-660X
DOI
10.1128/jcm.00481-13
PMC
PMC3889735
OpenAlex
W2074686134
Cited by
44
References
57
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1
FWCI
1.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.asm.org/non-commercial-tdm-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of Clinical Microbiology (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • K-State Research Exchange (Kansas State University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Winn Feline Foundation
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Endocrinology › Escherichia coli research studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
Keywords
kitten mortality, Enterococcus hirae, Enterococcus faecalis, enteritis, probiotics, antimicrobial resistance, virulence traits, biofilm formation, opportunistic pathogens, gut microbiota
MeSH terms
Animals, Animals, Newborn, Cat Diseases, Cats, Enteritis, Escherichia coli, Ileum, Intestinal Mucosa, Enterococcus, Biofilms, Biota

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