Changes

The syndrome has occurred as outbreaks<ref>Cave TA, Knottenbelt C, Mellor DJ, Nunn F, Nart P, Reid SW '''Outbreak of dysautonomia (Key-Gaskell syndrome) in a closed colony of pet cats.''' ''Vet Rec. 2003 Sep 27;153(13):387-92.''</ref> in the past in the UK, continental Europe and occasionally in the USA. It was first described by Key and Gaskell as a 'puzzling syndrome' causing pupillary dilatation in cats at the start of a major outbreak in the UK in 1982<ref>Key TJ, Gaskell CJ. '''Puzzling syndrome in cats associated with pupillary dilatation.''' ''Vet Rec. 1982 Feb 13;110(7):160.''</ref>. It is currently described only sporadically but recent reports suggest that the incidence of the disease may be increasing again.

The syndrome has occurred as outbreaks<ref>Cave TA, Knottenbelt C, Mellor DJ, Nunn F, Nart P, Reid SW '''Outbreak of dysautonomia (Key-Gaskell syndrome) in a closed colony of pet cats.''' ''Vet Rec. 2003 Sep 27;153(13):387-92.''</ref> in the past in the UK, continental Europe and occasionally in the USA. It was first described by Key and Gaskell as a 'puzzling syndrome' causing pupillary dilatation in cats at the start of a major outbreak in the UK in 1982<ref>Key TJ, Gaskell CJ. '''Puzzling syndrome in cats associated with pupillary dilatation.''' ''Vet Rec. 1982 Feb 13;110(7):160.''</ref>. It is currently described only sporadically but recent reports suggest that the incidence of the disease may be increasing again.

The cause of the dysautonomia is not known but numerous factors have been implicated and it is generally thought to occur after exposure to a toxin, possibly in dry food or vaccines. As with grass sickness, it has also been suggested that toxins produced by ''[[Clostridium botulinum]]'' may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease and a recent study showed that cats with the disease developed significantly higher titres of IgA antibody to botulinum toxins C and D than healthy controls<ref>Nunn F, Cave TA, Knottenbelt C, Poxton IR. '''Association between Key-Gaskell syndrome and infection by Clostridium botulinum type C/D.''' ''Vet Rec. 2004 Jul 24;155(4):111-5.''</ref>.  Whatever the cause, degenerative lesions develop in the autonomic ganglia, intermedio-lateral columns of spinal grey matter and in the axons of the sympathetic neurones.

The cause of the dysautonomia is not known but numerous factors have been implicated and it is generally thought to occur after exposure to a toxin, possibly in dry food or vaccines [?reference]. As with grass sickness, it has also been suggested that toxins produced by ''[[Clostridium botulinum]]'' may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease and a recent study showed that cats with the disease developed significantly higher titres of IgA antibody to botulinum toxins C and D than healthy controls<ref>Nunn F, Cave TA, Knottenbelt C, Poxton IR. '''Association between Key-Gaskell syndrome and infection by Clostridium botulinum type C/D.''' ''Vet Rec. 2004 Jul 24;155(4):111-5.''</ref>.  Whatever the cause, degenerative lesions develop in the autonomic ganglia, intermedio-lateral columns of spinal grey matter and in the axons of the sympathetic neurones.

==Signalment==

==Signalment==