Bordetella bronchiseptica infections in cats

Eleven cats from 10 different households or catteries were diagnosed with Bordetella bronchiseptica (B. bronchiseptica) infections. Seven cases proved fatal, in which B. bronchiseptica pneumonia was a primary or significant cause of death. The majority of cases (seven of 11) were in kittens less than eight weeks old. A universal complaint was coughing. Bacterial cultures from transtracheal washes or lung tissue were successful in diagnosing bordetellosis in all cases. This report indicates that B. bronchiseptica should be a consideration in a cat presenting with a primary complaint of coughing and may be a relatively common disease in catteries or shelter environments.