Utsöndring av klamydia från kliniskt friska katter

Sammanfattning: Blood samples from 44 clinically healthy cats were analysed for the presence of antibodies to Chlamydophila felis. As we wanted to investigate if the antibody titre of clinically healthy cats correlates to shedding of chlamydia, conjunctival and vaginal or preputial swabs respectively, were taken and analysed with rtPCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) for the presence of chlamydia DNA. Furthermore, to investigate possible epidemiological factors connected with asymptomatic cats infected with chlamydia and to see if there were any indications that chlamydiosis can cause reproductive problems, the owners of the cats were asked questions regarding this. Sixty-one per cent (27 of 44) of the cats were seropositive. Three of these (11 %) had the highest antibody titre (1:1600). One (33 %) of the cats with the highest antibodytitre was positive on PCR on the conjunctival swab. None of the cats were shedding chlamydia from genitalia. Eighteen (77 %) of the seropositive cats had been mated, and from those who had been at a cat show during the last year before the samples where taken, 60 % were seropositive. Twenty-one (78 %) of the seropositive cats were living together with six or more cats in the household, and 63 % were brought up in such a household. A correlation between a clinically healthy cat having the highest antibody titre and shedding of chlamydiae is possible but further investigations are required to verify a connection. If so, a blood sample could be helpful when analysing the risk of clinically healthy cats being contagious or not and perhaps in the need of treatment. In this study, no evidence of veneric transmission from asymptomatic seropositive cats was found. We did not find any relation between reproductive problems and asymptomatic cats with antibodies to chlamydia.