Streptobacillus felis, a member of the oropharynx microbiota of the Felidae, isolated from a tropical rusty-spotted cat

Ahmad Fawzy,Christiane Herden,Jochen Blom,Alexa Bach,Christina Geiger,Can Imirzalioglu,Tobias Eisenberg,Jörg Rau,Jane Falgenhauer,Nicole Schauerte,Karin Riße

doi:10.1007/s10482-020-01454-x

Abstract

Streptobacillus felis is a fastidious microorganism and a novel member of the potentially zoonotic bacteria causing rat bite fever. Since its description, this is the second isolation of S. felis in a diseased member of the Felidae. Interestingly, the strain from this study was isolated from a zoo held, rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), with pneumonia, thereby indicating a possible broader host range in feline species. A recent preliminary sampling of domestic cats (Felis silvestris forma catus) revealed that this microorganism is common in the oropharynx, suggesting that S. felis is a member of their normal microbiota. Due to unawareness, fastidiousness, antibiotic sensitivity and lack of diagnostics the role of S. felis as a cat and human pathogen might be under-reported as with other Streptobacillus infections. More studies are necessary to elucidate the role of S. felis in domestic cats and other Felidae in order to better estimate its zoonotic potential.

Highlights

Streptobacillus (S.) moniliformis (Leptotrichiaceae, Fusobacteriales) has been the longstanding unique species in this genus (Levaditi et al 1925)
More studies are necessary to elucidate the role of S. felis in domestic cats and other Felidae in order to better estimate its zoonotic potential
Whereas S. notomytis and S. ratti are closely associated with black rats (Rattus rattus), [S.] hongkongensis has exclusively been isolated from humans (Lau et al 2016; Woo et al 2014) and was recently found to belong to a novel genus, Pseudostreptobacillus (Eisenberg et al 2020a)

Summary

Introduction

Streptobacillus (S.) moniliformis (Leptotrichiaceae, Fusobacteriales) has been the longstanding unique species in this genus (Levaditi et al 1925) This bacterium represents the most important causative microorganism of rat bite fever (RBF) and its foodborne variant, Haverhill fever (Eisenberg et al 2018). [S.] hongkongensis (Woo et al 2014), S. felis (Eisenberg et al 2014), S. notomytis (Eisenberg et al 2015b), S. ratti (Eisenberg et al 2016) and S. canis (Eisenberg et al 2020b) were described as novel species. Whereas S. notomytis and S. ratti are closely associated with black rats (Rattus rattus), [S.] hongkongensis has exclusively been isolated from humans (Lau et al 2016; Woo et al 2014) and was recently found to belong to a novel genus, Pseudostreptobacillus (Eisenberg et al 2020a). We here report a second strain of S. felis, isolated from a tropical rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), one of the smallest members of Felidae, that succumbed to infection

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