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病例描述
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病例1
一只4岁雄性已去势萨凡纳猫因间歇性咳嗽和持续3周的轻度体重下降就诊于苏格兰因弗内斯的全科执业兽医。该猫自幼猫时获得以来一直严格饲养于室内。未曾给予常规抗寄生虫药，但核心疫苗接种齐全。饲喂市售生肉基日粮（RMBD；禽肉基[68%]加27%补充牛内脏）。
初诊时，该猫精神活泼、警觉、反应灵敏。体重5.18 kg，体况评分（BCS）4/9。心率168次/分（bpm），呼吸频率40次/分。胸部听诊未检出心脏杂音，但双肺呼吸音稍粗，偶有喘鸣。体温正常，其余临床检查未见异常。
最初给予美洛昔康7天疗程（0.05 mg/kg每24小时一次[q24hrs]经口[PO]随食给予；Metacam, Boehringer），无反应。接下来2周内咳嗽变得更加持续，并逐渐嗜睡、食欲下降。对其麻醉后行胸部X线摄影；显示明显的支气管-间质型。在同次麻醉下进行盲法支气管肺泡灌洗（BAL），灌洗液送细胞学评估及常规细菌培养。细胞学检查显示中度中性粒细胞性炎症，细菌培养阴性。
在等待上述结果期间，经验性给予马波沙星10天疗程（2 mg/kg PO q24hrs；Marbocyl, Vetoquinol）并联合美洛昔康（同上）。未见改善，变得更加嗜睡、食欲减退，自初诊时体重下降6%。
此时，血液学和血清生化指标无异常。由于临床进展，行胸部计算机断层扫描（CT），显示肺实质被结节状至融合性软组织衰减病变严重弥漫性累及，伴轻度对比增强（图1）。病变边缘不规则、大小不一，最大者位于肺实质外周，所有肺叶均受累。纵隔因中度增大的纵隔淋巴结而增宽。
[图：病例1（一只4岁雄性已去势萨凡纳猫，有2个月慢性病史）胸部CT检查的三个层面]
鉴于扫描结果的严重性，该患猫被转诊至转诊机构。就诊时体重3.8 kg（自初诊以来下降30%），BCS 2/9。从实变肺实质区域行数处细针抽吸并送细胞学检查，鉴定为严重中性粒细胞性和巨噬细胞性（即脓肉芽肿性）炎症。随后的玻片行Ziehl–Neelsen（ZN）染色，显示少量抗酸杆菌，形态细长弯曲，为分枝杆菌典型表现（图2）。样本送分枝杆菌培养，结果为山羊分枝杆菌阳性。
[图：病例1细针肺抽吸物的细胞学评估，Ziehl–Neelsen染色，100倍放大。]
在麻醉状态下放置食管造口管，以便主人长期经口给予抗生素。开始三联抗生素治疗，包括普拉多沙星（5 mg/kg PO q24hrs；Veraflox, Bayer）、利福平（10 mg/kg PO q24hrs；仿制药）和阿奇霉素（15 mg/kg PO q24hrs；Zithromax, Pfizer）。使用液体制剂以便经饲管给药。
该猫在转诊机构的隔离设施内住院共8天，采取与所有分枝杆菌感染猫相同的预防措施（接触工作人员数量保持最少，并穿戴个人防护装备，包括一次性隔离衣、手套和N95口罩）。出院前，与主人讨论了人兽共患风险，并提供书面信息供其参考。一旦确诊山羊分枝杆菌，即通知相关公共卫生官员，由其与主人进行后续联系，但未认为需要进一步检测或措施。医院工作人员均未在无充分安全设备的情况下实施任何高风险操作，故未采取进一步调查或公共卫生措施。
治疗期间每月检查一次。临床上迅速改善，一个月内开始增重，咳嗽频率明显降低。
每3个月复查胸部X线摄影。治疗过程中显示轻度改善，但即使临床症状完全消退，影像仍明显异常（图3）。
[图：病例1停止治疗时胸部右侧位（a）和背腹位（b）X线片]
当胸部X线摄影上的肺部改变稳定超过2个月时，即开始治疗后11个月，停止抗生素治疗。截至撰写本文时，即停止治疗后一年，该猫临床上仍正常。
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病例2
一只3岁雌性已绝育英国短毛猫因持续1个月的咳嗽并逐渐出现体重下降和发热，就诊于英格兰汉普郡的全科执业兽医。该猫自幼猫时期获得以来一直严格饲养于室内，未进行常规抗寄生虫处理，但核心疫苗接种齐全。其饲喂市售的生肉骨日粮（RMBD，与病例1为同一产品）。
初诊时，该猫精神活泼、警觉且反应灵敏。体重3.67 kg，体况评分（BCS）为4/9。心率132次/分，呼吸频率增快至68次/分。体温升高（39.9°C），其余临床检查未见明显异常。
初始检查包括血液学和血清生化（含离子钙），结果均未见明显异常。
胸部X线片最显著的发现为左后肺野内一空洞性肿块，左前肺另见一大结节。其余肺野弥漫分布多灶性致密实变区（图4）。
[图：病例2诊断时胸部右侧位（a）和背腹位（b）X线片。这些显示]
曾建议将患猫收治于隔离设施，但主人拒绝。就人畜共患风险与主人进行了深入讨论，并以书面形式提供相关信息供其参考。一旦确诊为山羊分枝杆菌（M. caprae）感染，即通知了相关公共卫生官员，由其与主人进行后续联系，结果未知。未认定任何工作人员在未配备充分安全防护设备的情况下实施了高风险操作，故未采取进一步措施。
对患猫实施麻醉并进行支气管肺泡灌洗（BAL）。细胞学检查发现显著的中性粒细胞性和巨噬细胞性炎症。巨噬细胞呈上皮样形态，胞质泡沫状，胞内可见不着色的“鬼影”杆菌。后续玻片采用ZN法染色，显示少量胞内抗酸杆菌，形态细长弯曲，符合分枝杆菌特征。样本送检分枝杆菌PCR检测（利兹大学教学医院分枝杆菌参考实验室），结核分枝杆菌复合群（MTBC）DNA阳性，随后对PCR产物测序确认感染山羊分枝杆菌（M. caprae）。
在与转诊机构的作者协商后，参照病例1启动三联抗生素治疗，同样包括普拉多沙星（5 mg/kg 口服 每24小时一次；Veraflox，拜耳）、利福平（10 mg/kg 口服 每24小时一次；仿制药）和阿奇霉素（15 mg/kg 口服 每24小时一次；Zithromax，辉瑞）。各药均使用液体制剂以便患猫配合长期每日用药。治疗期间对患猫进行间断检查。临床上患猫迅速改善，1个月内开始增重，治疗4个月时咳嗽频率明显降低。
治疗5个月后复查胸部X线片。与诊断时相比明显改善，但未完全恢复正常（图5）。继续上述抗生素治疗，3个月后再次复查胸部X线片。胸部病变未见变化，鉴于患猫临床状况良好且已治疗9个月，遂停止治疗。截至撰写本文时，即停止治疗10个月后，患猫临床仍正常。
[图：病例2停止治疗时胸部右侧位（a）和背腹位（b）X线片]
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讨论
在英国，猫MTBC感染通常由牛分枝杆菌（Mycobacterium bovis）或田鼠分枝杆菌（Mycobacterium microti）引起（Gunn‐Moore, Brewer, et al. 2011）。山羊分枝杆菌（M. caprae）感染仅在近期才在家猫中被发现，且仅在一例经尸检检查的病例中有详细描述（O'Halloran et al. 2024; Gola et al. 2025）。本病例报告首次描述了猫山羊分枝杆菌病的成功管理。
唯一一项评估英国猫分枝杆菌感染治疗成功率的大型回顾性研究发现，这些病例的治疗方案一致性有限（Gunn‐Moore, Schock, et al. 2011）。相当数量的患猫对抗生素治疗有反应，其中42%实现了完全缓解。尽管许多患猫接受的是如今会被认为不恰当的治疗（例如，短疗程氟喹诺酮单药治疗）。自该研究发表15年以来，作者基于人类结核感染的建议治疗（NICE 2024）制定了更新的治疗策略，并针对猫进行了调整（O'Halloran and Gunn‐Moore 2017）。该治疗包括三联抗菌治疗：利福平10 mg/kg口服每日一次、一种氟喹诺酮类药物（猫通常使用普多沙星，标准每日一次剂量，因其安全性极佳）以及一种大环内酯/阿扎内酯类药物（通常为阿奇霉素，因其每日一次给药要求可最大程度提高患者依从性），持续至少3个月，并在临床症状消退和/或胸部X线片改变消退后再持续2个月（O'Halloran and Gunn‐Moore 2017）。该方法使缓解率达到约80%。本报告中治疗的两例病例均采用了相同的方案。
两名患者均发现显著的肺部病理学改变，尽管延长了抗生素治疗时间，仍无法达到影像学上的改变消退。因此，当检查结果稳定至少2个月时停止治疗，未观察到临床症状复发。这种情况似乎类似于人类中日益被认识的一种疾病——结核后肺病（PTLD），该病涵盖抗分枝杆菌治疗成功后出现的一系列结构和功能性肺部异常（Meghji et al. 2025; Al‐Hindawi et al. 2026; Fumagalli et al. 2026）。研究表明，18%–80%接受治疗的患者存在持久的残余肺损伤，可导致残余的影像学诊断异常（Meghji et al. 2025; Al‐Hindawi et al. 2026; Fumagalli et al. 2026）。因此，猫的稳定性影像学改变可被视为合理的治疗目标，并可用于确定分枝杆菌感染病例的治疗终点，前提是根据初始严重程度预期影像学改变不会恢复正常。
两名患者均需要每日采用多药方案进行长期治疗，并频繁复诊以达到临床症状缓解。这需要照护者投入大量的经济和情感成本，以及极佳的患者依从性。在任何猫MTBC感染病例中，若这些条件不具备，应仔细考虑治疗是否合适。
最初，1号猫在初次就诊时接受了美洛昔康治疗7天。其原因并不显而易见，因为检查兽医未报告该猫有发热或疼痛。不同的经验性用药可能改变了该病例的临床病程，例如，如果咳嗽存在感染性因素——例如怀疑支原体属——则可能考虑多西环素；或者如果怀疑炎症性气道疾病，则可能使用抗炎性皮质类固醇。然而，在此背景下，这两种药物中的任何一种都可能使最终诊断更难确定或使临床症状更严重。因此，兽医需要仔细考虑经验性治疗选择，并与主人讨论潜在的获益和风险。
鉴于山羊分枝杆菌是MTBC的成员，其向人类传播的可能性值得特别关注。牛分枝杆菌从猫向人传播的动物源性传播此前已有记录，尽管风险被认为极低（O'Connor et al. 2019）。山羊分枝杆菌向人类的传播已在与感染山羊（储存宿主）密切接触的情况下被确认，但从未有来自猫的传播（Pérez de Val et al. 2025）。因此，认为治疗这些猫是合理的，特别是因为如前所述，没有密切接触的人类具有动物源性传播的任何风险因素（O'Halloran and Gunn‐Moore 2017）。
然而，由于存在传播的可能性以及不遵守给药方案时可能产生抗菌药物耐药性，对于严重疾病且无法提供适当药物依从性的患者，应考虑安乐死。
放置食管造口管（如病例1所做）有助于成功治疗；该管在整个治疗期间保持放置，以便主人给予液体药物，减少患者的应激并维持主人与照护者之间的关系。
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结论
作为英国家猫中山羊分枝杆菌感染成功治疗的首批报告病例，本研究为家养动物群体中分枝杆菌感染的不断增长的文献体系做出了贡献。通过提高认识，希望这些新信息有助于成功的患者管理，同时降低动物源性传播的风险。
作者贡献
E.C. 负责撰写手稿的初稿。D.G.M. 监督了其中一例病例的治疗并提供了手稿编辑。C.O.H. 监督了本研究，参与了两例病例的治疗并最终定稿手稿。
基金
作者无需报告任何内容。
伦理声明
作者确认已遵守期刊作者指南页面所载的期刊伦理政策。本手稿所述工作涉及使用非实验性（自有）动物，并已获得畜主知情同意。始终遵循国际公认的针对个体患畜的兽医临床护理高标准（“最佳实践”）。因此，发表无需委员会伦理批准。
利益冲突
作者声明无利益冲突。
致谢
我们非常感谢慷慨同意发表本研究的畜主。
数据可用性声明
支持本研究结果的数据可向通讯作者索取。由于隐私或伦理限制，这些数据不公开。
参考文献
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关联数据
数据可用性声明
支持本研究结果的数据可向通讯作者索取。由于隐私或伦理限制，这些数据不公开。
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Case Description
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Case 1
A 4‐year‐old male‐neutered Savannah cat was presented to his general practice veterinarian in Inverness, Scotland, for an intermittent cough and mild weight loss of 3 weeks’ duration. He had been a strictly indoor‐only cat since acquisition as a kitten. He had not been given routine antiparasiticides but was up to date with core vaccinations. He was fed a commercially available raw meat‐based diet (RMBD; poultry‐based [68%] with 27% supplemental beef offal).
On initial presentation, he was bright, alert and responsive. He weighed 5.18 kg with a body condition score (BCS) of 4/9. He had a heart rate of 168 beats per minute (bpm) and a respiratory rate of 40 bpm. No heart murmur was detected on thoracic auscultation, but he had slightly harsh lung sounds bilaterally, with an occasional wheeze. His temperature was normal, and the rest of the clinical examination identified no abnormalities.
He was initially treated with a 7‐day course of meloxicam (0.05 mg/kg once every 24 h [q24hrs] orally [PO] with food; Metacam, Boehringer) to which there was no response. Over the next 2‐weeks his cough became more persistent, and he became increasingly lethargic with a decreased appetite. He was anaesthetised, and thoracic radiographs were performed; these showed a marked broncho‐interstitial pattern. A blind bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed under the same anaesthesia, which was submitted for cytological evaluation as well as routine bacterial culture. The cytological examination revealed moderate neutrophilic inflammation and was negative on bacteriological culture.
Pending these results, the patient was empirically prescribed a 10‐day course of marbofloxacin (2 mg/kg PO q24hrs; Marbocyl, Vetoquinol) alongside meloxicam (as above). He showed no improvement, became more lethargic, hyporexic, and lost 6% of his body weight from the initial presentation.
At this time, haematology and serum biochemistry profiles were unremarkable. Due to clinical progression, a thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan was performed, which revealed the pulmonary parenchyma to be severely, diffusely affected by nodular to confluent soft tissue attenuating lesions with mild contrast enhancement (Figure 1). The lesions were irregularly marginated and of various sizes, with the largest at the periphery of the lung parenchyma, with all lobes affected. The mediastinum was widened due to the presence of moderately enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes.
[图：Three sections of the thoracic CT study of Case 1 (a 4‐year‐old male neutered Savannah cat) with a 2‐month history of ch]
Considering the severity of the scan results, the patient was referred to the REFERRAL INSTITUTION. On presentation, the patient weighed 3.8 kg (30% loss since initial presentation) with a BCS of 2/9. Several fine‐needle aspirates were taken from areas of consolidated lung parenchyma and submitted for cytological examination, which identified severe neutrophilic and macrophagic (i.e., pyogranulomatous) inflammation. Subsequent slides were stained with the Ziehl–Neelsen (ZN) method and revealed small numbers of acid‐fast bacilli with slender, curved morphology, typical of mycobacteria (Figure 2). Samples were submitted for mycobacterial culture, which was positive for Mycobacterium caprae.
[图：Cytological evaluation of a fine needle lung aspirate (Case 1) stained with Ziehl–Neelsen stain at 100× magnification. W]
An oesophagostomy tube was placed while the patient was under anaesthesia to facilitate prolonged oral administration of the antibiotics by the owners. Triple antibiotic therapy was instigated comprising pradofloxacin (5 mg/kg PO q24hrs; Veraflox, Bayer), rifampicin (10 mg/kg PO q24hrs; generic) and azithromycin (15 mg/kg PO q24hrs; Zithromax, Pfizer). Liquid formulations were utilised to allow administration via the feeding tube.
The cat was hospitalised in an isolation facility at the REFERRAL INSTITUTION for a total of 8 days, with precautions in place as for all cats with mycobacterial infection (the number of in‐contact staff was kept to a minimum and wore personal protective equipment, including disposable gowns, gloves and N95 facemasks). Prior to discharge, a discussion about the zoonotic risks was had with the owners, and information was provided in writing for their consideration. Once the diagnosis of M. caprae was confirmed, relevant public health officials were notified and follow‐up contact was made by them with the owners, but no further testing or actions were deemed to be indicated. No staff at the Hospital were deemed to have performed any high‐risk procedures without adequate safety equipment, and so no further investigation or public health action was taken.
He was examined monthly whilst on treatment. Clinically, he improved rapidly and within a month had started to gain weight, with a notably decreased frequency of coughing.
Thoracic radiographs were repeated at 3‐monthly intervals. These showed mild improvement over the course of treatment but, even with full resolution of clinical signs, remained markedly affected (Figure 3).
[图：A right‐laterolateral (a) and dorsoventral (b) radiograph of the thorax of Case 1 at the time of discontinuing treatment]
When the lung changes on thoracic radiography were static for more than 2 months, 11 months after initiation, antibiotic treatment was stopped. The patient remains clinically normal at the time of writing, a year after cessation of treatment.
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Case 2
A 3‐year‐old female neutered British Shorthair cat was presented to her general practice veterinarian in Hampshire, England, for a 1‐month history of a cough progressing to develop weight loss and fever. She had been a strictly indoor‐only cat since acquisition as a kitten, was not given routine antiparasiticides but was up to date with core vaccinations. She was fed a commercially available RMBD (the same product as Case 1).
On initial presentation, she was bright, alert and responsive. She weighed 3.67 kg with a BCS of 4/9. She had a heart rate of 132 bpm and an increased respiratory rate of 68 bpm. Her temperature was increased (39.9°C) whilst the rest of the clinical examination was unremarkable.
Initial investigations included haematology and serum biochemistry, including ionised calcium, which were unremarkable.
Thoracic radiographs revealed, most significantly, a cavitating mass in the caudal left lung field with an additional large nodule in the left cranial lung. There were multifocal areas of dense consolidation diffusely through the remaining lung fields (Figure 4).
[图：A right‐laterolateral (a) and dorsoventral (b) radiograph of the thorax of Case 2 at the time of diagnosis. These show a]
Hospitalisation in an isolation facility was offered but declined by the clients. An in‐depth discussion about the zoonotic risks was had with the owners and information was provided in writing for their consideration. Once the diagnosis of M. caprae was confirmed, relevant public health officials were notified and follow‐up contact was made by them with the owners, the outcome of which is unknown. No staff were deemed to have performed any high‐risk procedures without adequate safety equipment and so no further action was taken.
The patient was anaesthetised and underwent a BAL. Cytology identified marked neutrophilic and macrophagic inflammation. The macrophages displayed epithelioid morphology with foamy cytoplasm and non‐staining ‘ghost’ bacilli intracellularly. Subsequent slides were stained with the ZN method and revealed small numbers of intracellular acid‐fast bacilli with slender, curved morphology, typical of mycobacteria. A sample was submitted for mycobacterial PCR testing (Leeds University Teaching Hospital, Mycobacterial Reference Laboratory) and was positive for DNA of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), and subsequent sequencing of the PCR product confirmed infection with M. caprae.
After consultation with the authors at the REFERRAL INSTITUTION, triple antibiotic therapy was instigated as for Case 1, also comprising pradofloxacin (5 mg/kg PO q24hrs; Veraflox, Bayer), rifampicin (10 mg/kg PO q24hrs; generic) and azithromycin (15 mg/kg PO q24hrs; Zithromax, Pfizer). Liquid formulations of each drug were used to facilitate patient compliance with long‐term daily medication. The patient was examined intermittently whilst on treatment. Clinically, she improved rapidly and within a month had started to gain weight, with a notably decreased frequency of coughing noted by 4 months of therapy.
Thoracic radiographs were repeated after 5 months of therapy. These showed a significant improvement since the time of diagnosis but without complete normalisation (Figure 5). Antibiotic therapy was continued as above, and thoracic radiographs were repeated after an additional 3 months. These showed no change in the thoracic pathology and, given the patient was clinically well and had been on treatment for 9 months, therapy was discontinued. The patient remains clinically normal at the time of writing, 10 months after cessation of treatment.
[图：A right‐laterolateral (a) and dorsoventral (b) radiograph of the thorax of Case 2 at the time of discontinuing treatment]
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Discussion
In the UK, feline MTBC infections are commonly caused by organisms Mycobacterium bovis or Mycobacterium microti (Gunn‐Moore, Brewer, et al. 2011). Infection with M. caprae has only recently been identified in domestic cats and has only been described in detail in one case that was examined post‐mortem (O'Halloran et al. 2024; Gola et al. 2025). This case report describes the successful management of M. caprae disease in cats for the first time.
The only large retrospective study looking at the success of treatment of mycobacterial infections in UK cats found that there was limited consistency in treatment protocols for these cases (Gunn‐Moore, Schock, et al. 2011). A significant number of these cats responded to antibiotic treatment, with 42% of them achieving complete remission. This was despite many receiving what would now be considered inappropriate treatment (e.g., short courses of fluoroquinolone monotherapy). Since that study was published 15 years ago, the authors have developed updated treatment strategies based on the advised treatment for human tuberculosis infections (NICE 2024), adapted for cats (O'Halloran and Gunn‐Moore 2017). This treatment consists of triple antimicrobial therapy with rifampicin at 10 mg/kg orally once daily, a fluoroquinolone (usually pradofloxacin in cats at standard once daily doses due to its excellent safety profile) and a macrolide/azalide (usually azithromycin due to its once daily dosing requirement which maximises patient compliance) for at least 3 months and for 2 months beyond the resolution of clinical signs and/or changes to thoracic radiographs (O'Halloran and Gunn‐Moore 2017). This approach has led to remission rates of approximately 80%. The same protocol was applied in the two cases treated in this report.
Substantial pulmonary pathological changes were identified in both patients, and it was not possible to reach radiographic resolution of the changes despite extended duration of antibiotic therapy. Instead, treatment was discontinued when the findings were consistent for at least 2 months, and no relapse in clinical signs has been noted. This situation appears to be analogous to a condition now increasingly recognised in humans as post‐tuberculosis lung disease (PTLD), which encompasses a spectrum of both structural and functional pulmonary abnormalities after successful anti‐mycobacterial therapy (Meghji et al. 2025; Al‐Hindawi et al. 2026; Fumagalli et al. 2026). Studies indicate that 18%–80% of treated patients have lasting residual lung damage which can lead to residual diagnostic imaging abnormalities (Meghji et al. 2025; Al‐Hindawi et al. 2026; Fumagalli et al. 2026). Stable radiographic changes in cats could therefore be seen as a reasonable therapeutic goal and could be used to determine the endpoint of therapy in cases of mycobacterial infection where radiographic changes are not expected to normalise based on their initial severity.
Both patients required prolonged therapy with a multidrug protocol daily, with frequent follow‐up appointments to reach remission of clinical signs. This required extensive financial and emotional investment by the caregivers and excellent patient compliance. In any cases of feline MTBC infection where these factors are not in place, careful consideration should be given to whether treatment is appropriate.
Initially, Cat 1 was treated with meloxicam for 7 days at the time of initial presentation. The reason for this is not immediately apparent, as the cat was not reported to have pyrexia or be in pain by the examining veterinarian. Different empirical medications may have altered the clinical course of the case, such as if an infectious component to the cough; for example, if Mycoplasma spp., was suspected, then doxycycline may have been considered, or if an inflammatory airway disease was suspected, then anti‐inflammatory corticosteroids could have been utilised. However, in this context, either of these drugs may have made the final diagnosis harder to reach or made the clinical signs more severe. Therefore, veterinarians need to consider empirical therapeutic choices carefully and discuss the potential benefits and risks with owners.
Given that M. caprae is a member of the MTBC, its potential transmission to humans warrants particular attention. Zoonotic transmission of M. bovis from cats has previously been documented, though the risk is considered very low (O'Connor et al. 2019). Transmission of M. caprae to humans has been identified in situations of proximity to infected goats (the reservoir host) but never from cats (Pérez de Val et al. 2025). Therefore, it was deemed reasonable to treat these cats, particularly as no in‐contact humans had any of the risk factors for zoonotic transmission, as previously described (O'Halloran and Gunn‐Moore 2017).
However, due to the potential for transmission and the development of antimicrobial resistance if dosing regimens are not adhered to, consideration should be given to euthanasia for patients with severe disease where compliance with appropriate medications cannot be provided.
Successful treatment can be aided by the placement of an oesophagostomy tube (as was performed in Case 1); this was in place for the entire duration of treatment to facilitate the administration of liquid medications by the owners, reducing stress to the patient and maintaining the owner–caregiver relationship.
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Conclusion
As the first reported cases of successful treatment of M. caprae infection in UK domestic cats, this study contributes to the growing body of literature on mycobacterial infections in domestic animal populations. By raising awareness, it is hoped that this novel information can help to aid in successful patient management whilst mitigating the risks of zoonotic transmission.
Author Contributions
E.C. was responsible for preparing the first draft of the manuscript. D.G.M. supervised the treatment of one of the cases and providing manuscript editing. C.O.H. supervised the study, was involved in the treatment of both cases and finalised the manuscript.
Funding
The authors have nothing to report.
Ethics Statement
The authors confirm that the ethical policies of the journal, as noted on the journal's author guidelines page, have been adhered to. The work described in this manuscript involved the use of non‐experimental (owned) animals with informed owner consent. Established internationally recognised high standards (‘best practice’) of veterinary clinical care for the individual patient were always followed. Ethical approval from a committee was therefore not required for publication.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgements
We are extremely grateful to the clients who kindly consented to the publication of this work.
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
References
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Associated Data
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.