VETERINARNI MEDICINA, cilt.68, sa.2, ss.62-65, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Black-pigmented bacteria are one of the neglected species to cause periodontal disease in cats, and they
are also zoonotic agents that pose an infection risk to humans. In this study, we aimed to determine the presence
of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Porphyromonas gulae and Prevotella nigrescens in the oral microbiota of pet and stray
cats. Dental swab samples were taken from 25 pet cats and 25 stray cats with symptoms of periodontal disease and
then investigated by multiplex polymerase chain reaction using 16S rRNA species-specific primers. As a result of the
multiplex PCR analysis, P. gingivalis 3/25 (12%), P. nigrescens 1/25 (4%), P. gingivalis + P. gulae 7/25 (28%), P. gingivalis + P. nigrescens 1/25 (4%), P. gulae + P. nigrescens 1/25 (4%), and P. gingivalis + P. gulae + P. nigrescens 2/25
(8%) were molecularly typed in the pet cats. In addition, 1/25 (4%) of P. gulae and 21/25 (84%) of P. gingivalis +
P. gulae were typed in the stray cats. In 10/25 (40%) pet and 3/25 (12%) stray cat samples, no bacteria were detected
by molecular typing. In summary, the results provide strong evidence that black-pigmented zoonotic pathogens
are associated with cat periodontal disease.