Efficacy of Azithromycin for the Treatment of Feline Chlamydophilosis

Overview

Journal J Feline Med Surg

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2003 Nov 19

PMID 14623199

Citations 13

Authors

W M A Owen

C P Sturgess

D A Harbour

K Egan

T J Gruffydd-Jones

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The current recommended treatment for feline chlamydophilosis involves daily oral administration of antimicrobials to all cats within an affected group for a prolonged period of time (4-6 weeks). Not surprisingly, owner compliance can be poor resulting in apparent treatment failure. Recent anecdotal evidence, supported by its efficacy in the treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in humans, has suggested that azithromycin may offer an alternative by allowing less frequent dosing for a shorter duration. A clinical trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy of azithromycin for the treatment of chlamydia (Chlamydophila felis) infection in cats. Whilst azithromycin, given at 10-15 mg/kg daily for 3 days and then twice weekly, provided a similar, rapid resolution of clinical signs and negative isolation scores as doxycycline, C felis was re-isolated in four out of the five cats treated. Furthermore, even daily administration of azithromycin to chronically infected cats was ineffective in clearing infection. The azithromycin protocols used here were therefore found to be unsuccessful in eliminating the carriage of this strain of C felis.

Citing Articles

Doxycycline with or without famciclovir for infectious ophthalmic and respiratory disease: a prospective, randomized, masked, placebo-controlled trial in 373 kittens.

Vernau K, Kim S, Thomasy S, Lucyshyn D, Purpura J, Montgomery E J Feline Med Surg. 2024; 26(11):1098612X241278413.

PMID: 39485362 PMC: 11531040. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X241278413.

Pathological and pharmacovigilance monitoring as toxicological imputations of azithromycin and its residues in broilers.

Fotouh A, Abdel-Maguid D, Abdelhaseib M, Zaki R, Darweish M Vet World. 2024; 17(6):1271-1280.

PMID: 39077436 PMC: 11283599. DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.1271-1280.

Antimicrobial use Guidelines for Treatment of Respiratory Tract Disease in Dogs and Cats: Antimicrobial Guidelines Working Group of the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases.

Lappin M, Blondeau J, Boothe D, Breitschwerdt E, Guardabassi L, Lloyd D J Vet Intern Med. 2017; 31(2):279-294.

PMID: 28185306 PMC: 5354050. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.14627.

Nasopharyngeal disease in cats: 2. Specific conditions and their management.

Reed N, Gunn-Moore D J Feline Med Surg. 2012; 14(5):317-26.

PMID: 22511474 PMC: 11132258. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X12444998.

Infectious causes for feline upper respiratory tract disease--a case-control study.

Holst B, Hanas S, Berndtsson L, Hansson I, Soderlund R, Aspan A J Feline Med Surg. 2010; 12(10):783-9.

PMID: 20851008 PMC: 11135524. DOI: 10.1016/j.jfms.2010.06.002.

References

Westfall D, Jensen W, Reagan W, Radecki S, Lappin M . Inoculation of two genotypes of Hemobartonella felis (California and Ohio variants) to induce infection in cats and the response to treatment with azithromycin. Am J Vet Res. 2001; 62(5):687-91. DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.2001.62.687. View

ODair H, Hopper C, Gruffydd-Jones T, Harbour D, Waters L . Clinical aspects of Chlamydia psittaci infection in cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus. Vet Rec. 1994; 134(15):365-8. DOI: 10.1136/vr.134.15.365. View

Sykes J, Anderson G, Studdert V, Browning G . Prevalence of feline Chlamydia psittaci and feline herpesvirus 1 in cats with upper respiratory tract disease. J Vet Intern Med. 1999; 13(3):153-62. DOI: 10.1892/0891-6640(1999)013<0153:pofpaf>2.3.co;2. View

Studdert M, Studdert V, Wirth H . Isolation of Chlamydia psittaci from cats with conjunctivitis. Aust Vet J. 1981; 57(11):515-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1981.tb05787.x. View

McDonald M, Willett B, Jarrett O, Addie D . A comparison of DNA amplification, isolation and serology for the detection of Chlamydia psittaci infection in cats. Vet Rec. 1998; 143(4):97-101. DOI: 10.1136/vr.143.4.97. View

Gunn-Moore D, Werrett G, Harbour D, Feilden H, Gruffydd-Jones T . Prevalence of Chlamydia psittaci antibodies in healthy pet cats in Britain. Vet Rec. 1995; 136(14):366-7. DOI: 10.1136/vr.136.14.366. View

Majcherczyk J . [Discoloration of the teeth and bones in young animals caused by tetracycline]. Zahnarztl Prax. 1965; 16(6):61-3. View

Yan C, Fukushi H, Matsudate H, Ishihara K, Yasuda K, Kitagawa H . Seroepidemiological investigation of feline chlamydiosis in cats and humans in Japan. Microbiol Immunol. 2000; 44(3):155-60. DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2000.tb02477.x. View

Carlborg B, Densert O, Lindqvist C . Tetracycline induced esophageal ulcers. a clinical and experimental study. Laryngoscope. 1983; 93(2):184-7. DOI: 10.1288/00005537-198302000-00011. View

10.

Everett K, Bush R, ANDERSEN A . Emended description of the order Chlamydiales, proposal of Parachlamydiaceae fam. nov. and Simkaniaceae fam. nov., each containing one monotypic genus, revised taxonomy of the family Chlamydiaceae, including a new genus and five new species, and.... Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1999; 49 Pt 2:415-40. DOI: 10.1099/00207713-49-2-415. View

11.

Wills J, Gruffydd-Jones T, Richmond S, Gaskell R, Bourne F . Effect of vaccination on feline Chlamydia psittaci infection. Infect Immun. 1987; 55(11):2653-7. PMC: 259956. DOI: 10.1128/iai.55.11.2653-2657.1987. View

12.

Ramsey D . Feline chlamydia and calicivirus infections. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2000; 30(5):1015-28. DOI: 10.1016/s0195-5616(00)05004-x. View

13.

Spencer W, Johnson F . Simple transport medium for the isolation of Chlamydia psittaci from clinical material. Vet Rec. 1983; 113(23):535-6. View

14.

McGrotty Y, Knottenbelt C . Oesophageal stricture in a cat due to oral administration of tetracyclines. J Small Anim Pract. 2002; 43(5):221-3. DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2002.tb00062.x. View

15.

Sparkes A, Caney S, Sturgess C, Gruffydd-Jones T . The clinical efficacy of topical and systemic therapy for the treatment of feline ocular chlamydiosis. J Feline Med Surg. 2002; 1(1):31-5. DOI: 10.1016/S1098-612X(99)90007-4. View

16.

Sykes J, Studdert V, Browning G . Comparison of the polymerase chain reaction and culture for the detection of feline Chlamydia psittaci in untreated and doxycycline-treated experimentally infected cats. J Vet Intern Med. 1999; 13(3):146-52. DOI: 10.1892/0891-6640(1999)013<0146:cotpcr>2.3.co;2. View

17.

Hunter R, Lynch M, Ericson J, Millas W, Fletcher A, Ryan N . Pharmacokinetics, oral bioavailability and tissue distribution of azithromycin in cats. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 1995; 18(1):38-46. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2885.1995.tb00549.x. View

18.

Hillis S, Coles F, Litchfield B, Black C, Mojica B, Schmitt K . Doxycycline and azithromycin for prevention of chlamydial persistence or recurrence one month after treatment in women. A use-effectiveness study in public health settings. Sex Transm Dis. 1998; 25(1):5-11. DOI: 10.1097/00007435-199801000-00002. View

19.

Weber J, Johnson R . New treatments for Chlamydia trachomatis genital infection. Clin Infect Dis. 1995; 20 Suppl 1:S66-71. DOI: 10.1093/clinids/20.supplement_1.s66. View

20.

Kaufman A, Greene C . Increased alanine transaminase activity associated with tetracycline administration in a cat. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1993; 202(4):628-30. View