Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bartonella bacteria found common in dog heart infections in northern
By MacDonald, Kristin A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2004·Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A prospective study of canine infective endocarditis in northern California (1999-2001): emergence of Bartonella as a prevalent etiologic agent.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 18 dogs in northern California were diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE), a serious heart infection. In 5 of these dogs, the cause was identified as a type of bacteria called Bartonella, which was confirmed through blood tests and further analysis. The affected dogs showed signs of heart problems, particularly with the aortic valve. Those with Bartonella-related IE had a poorer prognosis compared to dogs with other types of heart infections. Recognizing high levels of Bartonella in blood tests can help vets diagnose this condition earlier, potentially improving outcomes for affected dogs.
People also search for: dog heart infection symptoms · Bartonella in dogs treatment · aortic valve disease in dogs
Abstract
A prospective study was performed (June 1999 to May 2001) to determine the incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) due to Bartonella in dogs in northern California and to compare these patients with other dogs with IE. IE was diagnosed antemortem based on clinical signs and echocardiography in 18 dogs. The etiologic agent was Bartonella sp. in 5 dogs (28%) and was diagnosed by high seroreactivity to Bartonella (titer > 1:512; range, 1:1,024-1:4,096); and confirmed postmortem by positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) from the infected valve and partial DNA sequencing of the citrate synthase gene (glt A). Conventional bacteria were causative agents in 7 dogs (39%). An etiologic agent was not identified in 6 dogs (33%). Bartonella vinsonii berkhoffii (n = 3), B clarridgeiae (n = 1), and a B clarridgeiae-like organism (n = 1) were identified. Blood culture was positive only for the IE case due to B clarridgeiae. All dogs with IE due to Bartonella were also seroreactive to Anaplasma phagocytophilum. All dogs with IE due to Bartonella had lesions only on the aortic valve. Of the cases of IE not due to Bartonella, 31% involved the aortic valve, 61% the mitral valve, and 8% both valves. Dogs with mitral valve IE lived longer than all dogs with aortic valve IE (P = .004) and dogs with IE of the aortic valve due to Bartonella (P = .002). In conclusion, Bartonella is a common cause of IE in dogs of northern California. A high Bartonella serologic titer (> 1:512) is useful antemortem to diagnose aortic valve IE due to Bartonella.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14765733/