Isolation of Chlamydia psittaci from cases of conjunctivitis in a colony of cats.

This report describes the isolation in cell cultures of Chlamydia psittaci from cases of conjunctivitis in a colony of cats. The organism was identified in McCoy cell monolayers by staining the intracytoplasmic chlamydial inclusions with a fluorescent antibody technique, and serological evidence of chlamydial infection in cats was obtained by indirect immunofluorescence. The possible role of C psittaci as an ocular, upper respiratory and reproductive tract pathogen in cats is discussed.