''Chlamydia felis'' (formerly ''Chlamydophila felis'' and before that ''Chlamydia psittaci'' var. ''felis'') is a

Gram-negative Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. They are characterized by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wall ...

bacterial pathogen Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria that can cause disease. This article focuses on the bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. Most species of bacteria are harmless and are often beneficial but others can cause infectious diseases. The number of ...

that infects cats. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

among

domestic cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...

s worldwide, primarily causing inflammation of feline

conjunctiva The conjunctiva is a thin mucous membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the sclera (the white of the eye). It is composed of non-keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium with goblet cells, stratified columnar epithelium ...

rhinitis Rhinitis, also known as coryza, is irritation and inflammation of the mucous membrane inside the nose. Common symptoms are a stuffy nose, runny nose, sneezing, and post-nasal drip. The inflammation is caused by viruses, bacteria, irritants o ...

and respiratory problems. ''C. felis'' can be recovered from the stomach and reproductive tract. Zoonotic infection of humans with ''C. felis'' has been reported. Strains FP Pring and FP Cello have an extrachromosomal plasmid, whereas the FP Baker strain does not. FP Cello produces lethal disease in mice, whereas the FP Baker does not. An attenuated FP Baker strain, and an attenuated 905 strain, are used as live vaccines for cats.

Taxonomy and Phylogeny

The genus ''

Chlamydia Chlamydia, or more specifically a chlamydia infection, is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Chlamydia trachomatis''. Most people who are infected have no symptoms. When symptoms do appear they may occur only several wee ...

'' contains the species '' C. trachomatis,

C. psittaci ''Chlamydia psittaci'' is a lethal intracellular bacterial species that may cause endemic avian chlamydiosis, epizootic outbreaks in mammals, and respiratory psittacosis in humans. Potential hosts include feral birds and domesticated poultry, a ...

, C. abortus, C. felis, C. muridarum, C. suis, C. caviae, C. pecorum,'' and '' C. pneumoniae.'' However, there is some dispute that some of these species, including ''C. felis'', should be classified in a separate genus, ''

Chlamydophila ''Chlamydophila'' is a controversial bacterial genus belonging to the family Chlamydiaceae. Taxonomy All Chlamydiota are anaerobic bacteria with a biphasic developmental lifecycle that depends on obligately intracellular growth in eukaryotic h ...

'', but this has not been widely accepted. ''C. felis'' is closely related to ''C. pneumoniae'' (causes

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

in humans)'', C. trachomatis'' (causes

in humans), and ''C. muridarum'' (causes pneumonia in mice). ''C. pneumoniae'' shares 879

orthologs Sequence homology is the biological homology between DNA, RNA, or protein sequences, defined in terms of shared ancestry in the evolutionary history of life. Two segments of DNA can have shared ancestry because of three phenomena: either a spec ...

genes In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

that come from a common ancestor, with ''C. felis'' while ''C. trachomatis'' and ''C. muridarium'' both share 841 orthologs with ''C.felis''. All ''Chlamydia'' species are Gram-negative, obligate intracellular pathogens with two distinct life stages (see Characterization) that are able to infect a wide range of mammals and birds around the world.

Discovery

James A. Baker published the finding of ''Chlamydia felis'' (known as ''Chlamydophila felis'' at the time) in 1942, but did not classify the organism. The organism was not formally classified until 1999. Baker started researching ''C. felis'' due to the number of atypical

cases observed in cats and later discovered that the atypical human pneumonia cases coincided with feline cases. Cats infected with this atypical pneumonia were recognized by their symptoms of sneezing, coughing, and

ocular Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and con ...

and nasal discharge. The disease was characterized by its highly infectious nature and long infection time. To determine what the causative agent was, Baker made a suspension of the infected cat lungs and used the suspension to infect mice via their nasal passage. The infected specimens died 2-5 days after initial infection. After

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

of the deceased specimens, Baker confirmed that they died from the same disease from the condition of the lungs of the mice. He could not culture ''C. felis'' using the available culturing methods of the time, so for a while thought that the causative agent might be a

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsky's 1 ...

. Baker did find the causative agent when he spun the infected mouse lungs in a

centrifuge A centrifuge is a device that uses centrifugal force to separate various components of a fluid. This is achieved by spinning the fluid at high speed within a container, thereby separating fluids of different densities (e.g. cream from milk) or ...

. He found the elementary bodies (see Characterization sub-heading) of ''C. felis'' that had been separated from the mouse lungs, confirming that they were the causative agent of the disease.

Characterization

''C. felis'' is a

Gram negative The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one one thousandth of a kilogram. Originally defined as of 1795 as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to th ...

(also known as diderm),

microaerophilic A microaerophile is a microorganism that requires environments containing lower levels of dioxygen than that are present in the atmosphere (i.e. < 21% O₂; typically 2–10% O₂) for optimal growth. A more re ...

bacterium Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

, whose cell wall seems to lack

peptidoglycan Peptidoglycan or murein is a unique large macromolecule, a polysaccharide, consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like peptidoglycan layer outside the plasma membrane, the rigid cell wall (murein sacculus) characteristic of most ...

. Its

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines * Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts * Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...

is that of a

coccobacillus A coccobacillus (plural coccobacilli), or bacilluscocco, is a type of bacterium with a shape intermediate between cocci (spherical bacteria) and bacilli (rod-shaped bacteria). Coccobacilli, then, are very short rods which may be mistaken for coc ...

. ''C. felis'' is also an

obligate intracellular pathogen {{wiktionary, obligate As an adjective, obligate means "by necessity" (antonym '' facultative'') and is used mainly in biology in phrases such as: * Obligate aerobe, an organism that cannot survive without oxygen * Obligate anaerobe, an organism tha ...

that infects

eukaryotic Eukaryotes () are organisms whose cells have a nucleus. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life. Bacte ...

cells, specifically cats, but has

zoonotic A zoonosis (; plural zoonoses) or zoonotic disease is an infectious disease of humans caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a bacterium, virus, parasite or prion) that has jumped from a non-human (usually a vertebrate) to a human. ...

potential. The

like many in its

phylum In biology, a phylum (; plural: phyla) is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term division has been used instead of phylum, although the International Code of Nomenclature f ...

, has evolved to have two distinct life stages: the elementary body (EB) and the reticulate body (RB). The EB is the infectious phase of the pathogen and is characterized by reduced

metabolic Metabolism (, from el, μεταβολή ''metabolē'', "change") is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms. The three main functions of metabolism are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cell ...

activity and the inability to replicate. The exact morphology of the EB varies among species within the ''

Chlamydiota The Chlamydiota (synonym Chlamydiae) are a bacterial phylum and class whose members are remarkably diverse, including pathogens of humans and animals, symbionts of ubiquitous protozoa, and marine sediment forms not yet well understood. All of th ...

'' phylum. The RB is the replicative phase of the pathogen's life cycle and has a higher metabolic activity compared to the EB. When the extracellular phase (EB) infects the host eukaryotic cell via

endocytosis Endocytosis is a cellular process in which substances are brought into the cell. The material to be internalized is surrounded by an area of cell membrane, which then buds off inside the cell to form a vesicle containing the ingested material. E ...

the bacteria transforms into the replicative phase (RB) while remaining in a membrane-bound

vesicle Vesicle may refer to: ; In cellular biology or chemistry * Vesicle (biology and chemistry), a supramolecular assembly of lipid molecules, like a cell membrane * Synaptic vesicle ; In human embryology * Vesicle (embryology), bulge-like features o ...

called an inclusion. Within the inclusion the RB cells will avoid the host cell's defenses, such as

lysosomes A lysosome () is a membrane-bound organelle found in many animal cells. They are spherical vesicles that contain hydrolytic enzymes that can break down many kinds of biomolecules. A lysosome has a specific composition, of both its membrane prote ...

, grow, and divide by

binary fission Binary may refer to: Science and technology Mathematics * Binary number, a representation of numbers using only two digits (0 and 1) * Binary function, a function that takes two arguments * Binary operation, a mathematical operation that t ...

. This method of infection and replication is common among the ''

'' genus. It is currently unknown how the bacteria receive their nutrients from the host while residing in the inclusion.

Metabolism

Many

processes and genes are highly conserved among ''

''. Due to ''C. felis'''s, and ''Chlamydia'' in general, small

genome In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding ge ...

, it is missing the genes for several essential

enzymes Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecule ...

for metabolic pathways, such as

glycolysis Glycolysis is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose () into pyruvate (). The free energy released in this process is used to form the high-energy molecules adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH ...

and the

citric acid cycle The citric acid cycle (CAC)—also known as the Krebs cycle or the TCA cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle)—is a series of chemical reactions to release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins ...

. It cannot synthesize

nucleotides Nucleotides are organic molecules consisting of a nucleoside and a phosphate. They serve as monomeric units of the nucleic acid polymers – deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), both of which are essential biomolecules w ...

, nor many

cofactors Cofactor may also refer to: * Cofactor (biochemistry), a substance that needs to be present in addition to an enzyme for a certain reaction to be catalysed * A domain parameter in elliptic curve cryptography, defined as the ratio between the order ...

amino acids Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although hundreds of amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the alpha-amino acids, which comprise proteins. Only 22 alpha am ...

. However, the bacteria's ability to synthesize and/or scavenge amino acids and nucleotides varies from species-to-species and from strain-to-strain, as shown by ''C. felis's'' ability to synthesize the

tryptophan Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Tryptophan contains an α-amino group, an α- carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with a non-polar aromatic ...

. In order to survive, ''C. felis'' will take various

metabolites In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...

, such as

phosphorylated In chemistry, phosphorylation is the attachment of a phosphate group to a molecule or an ion. This process and its inverse, dephosphorylation, are common in biology and could be driven by natural selection. Text was copied from this source, whi ...

sugars, and other essential molecules from the host cell. It is currently unknown exactly how the bacteria receive these molecules while residing in the inclusion. It is thought that the bacteria receive host

lipids Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include ...

by intercepting

vesicles Vesicle may refer to: ; In cellular biology or chemistry * Vesicle (biology and chemistry), a supramolecular assembly of lipid molecules, like a cell membrane * Synaptic vesicle ; In human embryology * Vesicle (embryology), bulge-like features o ...

departing from the

Golgi apparatus The Golgi apparatus (), also known as the Golgi complex, Golgi body, or simply the Golgi, is an organelle found in most eukaryotic cells. Part of the endomembrane system in the cytoplasm, it packages proteins into membrane-bound vesicles ins ...

and by stealing lipid droplets and host lipid transfer proteins. With the nutrients gathered from the host cell, the bacteria can perform

and the

. The bacteria also have a fully functional

electron transport chain An electron transport chain (ETC) is a series of protein complexes and other molecules that transfer electrons from electron donors to electron acceptors via redox reactions (both reduction and oxidation occurring simultaneously) and couples th ...

(ETC), which includes a Na⁺ translocating

NADH dehydrogenase NADH dehydrogenase is an enzyme that converts nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) from its reduced form (NADH) to its oxidized form (NAD+). Members of the NADH dehydrogenase family and analogues are commonly systematically named using the for ...

, cytochrome bd oxidase, and a V-type ATPase. ''C. felis'' uses oxygen as its terminal

electron acceptor An electron acceptor is a chemical entity that accepts electrons transferred to it from another compound. It is an oxidizing agent that, by virtue of its accepting electrons, is itself reduced in the process. Electron acceptors are sometimes mista ...

, in which the cytochrome bd oxidase is necessary. The presence of a Na⁺ translocating NADH dehydrogenase suggests that instead of a

proton-motive force Chemiosmosis is the movement of ions across a semipermeable membrane bound structure, down their electrochemical gradient. An important example is the formation of adenosine triphosphate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by the movement of hydrogen ion ...

, the bacteria uses a

sodium-motive force Members of the Solute:Sodium Symporter (SSS) FamilyTC# 2.A.21 catalyze solute:Na+ symport. The SSS family is within the APC Superfamily. The solutes transported may be sugars, amino acids, organo cations such as choline, nucleosides, inositols, v ...

for creating an

electrochemical gradient An electrochemical gradient is a gradient of electrochemical potential, usually for an ion that can move across a membrane. The gradient consists of two parts, the chemical gradient, or difference in solute concentration across a membrane, and th ...

across the

plasma membrane The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane (PM) or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment (t ...

. ''C. felis'' has also been shown to have a complete

pentose phosphate pathway The pentose phosphate pathway (also called the phosphogluconate pathway and the hexose monophosphate shunt and the HMP Shunt) is a metabolic pathway parallel to glycolysis. It generates NADPH and pentoses (5-carbon sugars) as well as ribose 5-pho ...

(PPP) and

gluconeogenesis Gluconeogenesis (GNG) is a metabolic pathway that results in the generation of glucose from certain non-carbohydrate carbon substrates. It is a ubiquitous process, present in plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms. In vertebrat ...

pathway, as well as being capable of both creating and degrading

glycogen Glycogen is a multibranched polysaccharide of glucose that serves as a form of energy storage in animals, fungi, and bacteria. The polysaccharide structure represents the main storage form of glucose in the body. Glycogen functions as one o ...

Genome

A bacterial culture was obtained by inoculating fertilized chicken eggs with ''C. felis''. After the strain had gone through several chicken egg passages, the strain went through four passages of McCoy cells before finally being used for genetic analysis. The genome of ''C. felis'' was sequenced via whole genome shotgun. Each gene was then annotated by programs BLASTP and

FASTA FASTA is a DNA and protein sequence alignment software package first described by David J. Lipman and William R. Pearson in 1985. Its legacy is the FASTA format which is now ubiquitous in bioinformatics. History The original FASTA program ...

. Programs GenomeGambler, GeneHacker plus, and Glimmer 2.0 were used to predict protein-coding genes. To search from

transmembrane proteins A transmembrane protein (TP) is a type of integral membrane protein that spans the entirety of the cell membrane. Many transmembrane proteins function as gateways to permit the transport of specific substances across the membrane. They frequentl ...

, the program SOSUI was used, and tRNAscan-SE for tRNA genes. ''C. felis'' has one

circular chromosome A circular chromosome is a chromosome in bacteria, archaea, mitochondria, and chloroplasts, in the form of a molecule of circular DNA, unlike the linear chromosome of most eukaryotes. Most prokaryote chromosomes contain a circular DNA molecu ...

that consists of around 1,100,00

base pairs A base pair (bp) is a fundamental unit of double-stranded nucleic acids consisting of two nucleobases bound to each other by hydrogen bonds. They form the building blocks of the DNA double helix and contribute to the folded structure of both DNA ...

. Compared to non-pathogenic organisms, the size of the ''C. felis'' is relatively small. The

that ''C. felis'' does possess encode over 1,000 proteins. Many of the genes are highly conserved within the ''

'' genus. A specific

plasmid A plasmid is a small, extrachromosomal DNA molecule within a cell that is physically separated from chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently. They are most commonly found as small circular, double-stranded DNA molecules in bacteria; how ...

is also highly conserved among ''Chlamydia''. The plasmid ''C. felis'' possess is called pCfe1 and is about 7,500 base pairs long. A recent study has suggested that the plasmid is necessary for

pathogenicity In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a ge ...

, though the exact mechanism is currently unknown.

Ecology

''C. felis'' was originally discovered in the lungs of cats suffering from pneumonia. ''C. felis'' used to be considered a strain of another member of its

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

, ''

'' until it was recognized as a separate

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

and reclassified as ''Chlamydophila felis''. ''Chlamydophila felis'' was then reclassified to ''Chlamydia felis'' due to dispute on the taxonomic usage of ''

'', which is still disputed to this day. ''C. felis'' is found worldwide. It has been reported to infect humans as well, giving it

potential, though it is rare. Humans that are infected can suffer from conjunctivitis and/or respiratory problems. As typical of many members of its genus, ''C. felis'' is well adapted to live within its host and cannot survive for long outside of the host. Thus, direct contact is necessary for the pathogen to spread and is why ''C. felis'' infection is more common in multi-cat environments.

Disease

Infected cats typically contract conjunctivitis within a 2-5 day incubation period. Clinical signs of infection are

hyperaemia Hyperaemia (also hyperemia) is the increase of blood flow to different tissues in the body. It can have medical implications but is also a regulatory response, allowing change in blood supply to different tissues through vasodilation. Clinically, ...

of the

nictitating membrane The nictitating membrane (from Latin '' nictare'', to blink) is a transparent or translucent third eyelid present in some animals that can be drawn across the eye from the medial canthus to protect and moisten it while maintaining vision. All ...

(severity varies),

blepharospasm Blepharospasm is any abnormal contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle. The condition should be distinguished from the more common, and milder, involuntary quivering of an eyelid, known as myokymia, or fasciculation. In most cases, blepharosp ...

, and discharge from the eye. The infection is not deadly, but if left untreated may cause blindness and pain for the cat. Infection is commonly spread among cats by

secretion. ''C. felis'' infection is most common in multicat environments such as shelters, breeder catteries, and among stray cat communities. Young cats, around the age of one year or under, are at the highest risk of infection. Infection can be detected either by culturing a sample or by PCR. Ocular samples are the most common, but samples can also be

oropharyngeal The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its struct ...

, nasal, and/or oral. The infection can be treated with

antibiotics An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention o ...

, typically with

tetracyclines Tetracyclines are a group of broad-spectrum antibiotic compounds that have a common basic structure and are either isolated directly from several species of ''Streptomyces'' bacteria or produced semi-synthetically from those isolated compounds. T ...

Vaccines A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity The adaptive immune system, also known as the acquired immune system, is a subsystem of the immune system that is composed of specialized, systemic cells and pro ...

for ''C. felis'', both attenuated and inactivated, are available for cats. For

immunocompromised Immunodeficiency, also known as immunocompromisation, is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious diseases and cancer is compromised or entirely absent. Most cases are acquired ("secondary") due to extrinsic factors that a ...

cats it is recommended that they only receive the inactivated vaccine, and only if necessary.

Significance

Zoonotic Potential

''C. felis'' typically has low

potential which is the likelihood that a

pathogen In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...

can be spread from animal to human and still cause disease. People who own or handle cats regularly are at a higher risk of contracting an infection from an afflicted cat. The risk is even higher if the individual is

or if there is poor hygiene. In humans, ''C. felis'' could cause

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness, or itchiness may ...

, various respiratory problems, and other diseases. Since most human cases are

asymptomatic In medicine, any disease is classified asymptomatic if a patient tests as carrier for a disease or infection but experiences no symptoms. Whenever a medical condition fails to show noticeable symptoms after a diagnosis it might be considered asy ...

, it is possible that this zoonosis occurs more often than we know.

Cat Health

''C. felis'' is a common cause of

and upper respiratory problems in cats. If left untreated, it leads to damage in the eyes followed by a loss of vision and, eventually,

blindness Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

. While this is not fatal, it is still very uncomfortable for the cat. Many countries do have a

vaccine A vaccine is a biological Dosage form, preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease, infectious or cancer, malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verifie ...

available.

Adoption

Up to 95% of cats with this infection come from shelters that have poor hygiene practices. The presence of other animals, like in an animal shelter, increases prevalence. This could have an impact on the adoption rates of animals in infected shelters. People generally prefer cats that appear happy, healthy, and playful. However, some cats are adopted out of pity.

Economic Impact

''C. felis'' has been isolated from up to 30% of cats with conjunctivitis or upper respiratory tract disease. Doxycyline is an

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

that is commonly used to treat these infections at a dosage of 10 mg/kg of body weight daily for four weeks. One 100 mg capsule can cost anywhere from $0.61 to $13.26 USD. This cost of treatment can be financially limiting considering that all cats within a facility, shelter, or home must be treated regardless of whether they are infected to ensure the disease is effectively eradicated.

References

External links

Chlamydiae.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5102723 Chlamydiota Cat diseases Bacteria described in 1999