Prevalence of microorganisms associated with feline gingivostomatitis

Feline gingivostomatitis (FGS) is a painful chronic inflammatory disease of the oral cavity. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of detection of certain common feline bacteria and viruses to determine any potential associations with FGS.

A multicentre case-control study design was conducted. In total, 72 control cats and 32 cats with FGS were included in the study. Oral swabs were cultured for bacterial identification and a PCR assay was carried out to examine the infection of feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), Chlamydia felis, Mycoplasma felis and Bordetella bronchiseptica.

There was a significant difference in age distribution between the control and the FGS group. Based on a PCR assay, the positive rate of FCV was significantly higher in FGS cats than control animals. For other infectious pathogens, including FHV-1, C felis and M felis, there was no significant difference. Bacterial culture of oral swabs revealed that Pasteurella multocida was most frequently detected, but the detection rate was significantly lower in FGS cats. In FGS cats, the incidence of Enterococcus faecalis and anaerobic bacteria were more frequently isolated than in control cats.

This study indicates that the positive rate of FCV was significantly higher in cats with FGS, and the microflora of the oral cavity of cats with FGS might be disrupted, although additional studies are required to compare the oral microbiome in cats of a variety of ages.