Enterococcus hirae enteropathy with ascending cholangitis and pancreatitisin a kitten

A 2-month-old female Persian cat that had been showing episodes of anorexia and diarrhea for the previous 4 weeks was presented in shock and died 2 da ys later. Numerous Gram-positive cocci were located along the brush border of small intestinal villi, without significant inflammatory infiltration. S imilar bacteria were present within hepatic bile ducts and pancreatic ducts and were associated with suppurative inflammation and exfoliation of epith elial cells. Culture of the liver and lung yielded bacteria identified as E nterococcus hirae. Fecal culture from an asymptomatic adult female from the same cattery also yielded large numbers of E. hirae. To our knowledge, thi s is the first report of E. hirae enteropathy in a cat and the first report of ascending cholangitis and ductal pancreatitis caused by an Enterococcus spp.