Acta Vet. Brno 2026, 95: 149-155
A new Mycobacterium bovis spoligotype in a domestic cat – case study
A 2-year-old mixed-breed domestic cat was presented with blindness, persistent skin lesions, and diffuse interstitial lung disease. A diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis infection was established based on histopathological examination revealing multifocal granulomatous inflammation with caseous necrosis and acid-fast bacilli, positive Ziehl-Neelsen staining, bacteriological culture confirmation using the Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube system, and spoligotyping. Treatment with a combination of ciprofloxacin (10 mg/kg per os (p.o.) q12 h), rifampicin (11 mg/kg p.o. q24 h), and azithromycin (9 mg/kg p.o. q24 h) resulted in clinical improvement within the first month of therapy. Since the cat’s history prior to adoption was unknown, the route of infection could not be determined. Spoligotyping revealed a previously unreported M. bovis pattern, which was submitted to the international database and assigned the SB number SB2784. This case report describes the first molecularly characterized M. bovis infection with a novel spoligotype diagnosed ante mortem in a cat in Türkiye and highlights the importance of molecular typing in the epidemiological evaluation of feline tuberculosis.
Keywords
Feline tuberculosis, spoligotyping, zoonosis, lymphadenitis, skin.
