Antibiotic-Resistant Corynebacterium jeikeium Urinary Tract Infection in a Cat

A 10-year-old, castrated male, domestic longhaired cat with a history of urinary tract disease and perineal urethrostomy was presented for evaluation of persistent urinary tract inflammation. Prior to referral, diphtheroid organisms had been cultured from a urine sample obtained by cystocentesis, and they were interpreted as sample contamination. Subsequent urine culture and gene sequencing identified Corynebacterium jeikeium, which was resistant to antibiotics and appeared to be the cause of the urinary tract infection.