Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Borrelia miyamotoi and other tick infections found in cats in eastern
By Shannon, Avery B et al.·Published in EcoHealth·2017·Department of Biology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Borrelia miyamotoi, Other Vector-Borne Agents in Cat Blood and Ticks in Eastern Maryland.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that about 36% of healthy cats in eastern Maryland had ticks, and some of these cats were exposed to tick-borne diseases, including Borrelia miyamotoi, which can affect humans. Out of the blood samples tested, 14% showed signs of infection with at least one pathogen. Interestingly, having more ticks didn't necessarily mean the cats had a higher risk of these diseases. This highlights the importance of monitoring ticks on pets, as they can pose a risk not just to the animals but also to the humans who care for them.
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Abstract
We collected blood and tick samples in eastern Maryland to quantify vector-borne pathogen exposure and infection in healthy cats and to assess occupational disease risk to veterinary professionals and others who regularly interact with household pets. Thirty-six percent of healthy cats parasitized by ticks at time of examination (9/25) were exposed to, and 14% of bloods (7/49) tested PCR-positive for, at least one vector-borne pathogen including several bloods and ticks with Borrelia miyamotoi, a recently recognized tick-borne zoonotic bacterium. There was no indication that high tick burdens were associated with exposure to vector-borne pathogens. Our results underscore the potential importance of cats to human vector-borne disease risk.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28879619/