Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chlamydia felis exposure in dogs and cats in Lanzhou, China
By Wu, Song-Ming et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2013·Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, China·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Chlamydia felis exposure in companion dogs and cats in Lanzhou, China: a public health concern.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the presence of a bacteria called Chlamydia felis in cats and dogs in Lanzhou, China, to understand how common it is and if it could be a health risk for people. Researchers collected blood samples from 485 pets, including 221 cats and 264 dogs, between November 2010 and July 2011. They found that about 5.9% of the cats and 12.1% of the dogs had been exposed to this bacteria. The study also showed that stray cats had a higher rate of exposure compared to household cats. This is the first time such information has been reported for this area, suggesting that Chlamydia felis could be a potential health concern for humans as well.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chlamydiaceae is a family of obligate intracellular pathogens with a worldwide distribution in many animal species, including humans. No information exists on the prevalence of Chlamydia felis infections in cats and dogs in Lanzhou, the geographical center of China. The aim of this study was to carry out a census of cats and dogs in Lanzhou and document the seroprevalence of C. felis exposure in these companion animals. RESULTS: In this study, blood samples were collected from 485 animals (221 cats and 264 pet dogs) in Lanzhou between November 2010 and July 2011 to identify antibodies against C. felis. Thirteen of 221 (5.9%) cats and 32 of 264 (12.1%) pet dogs were positive for C. felis infection using indirect hemagglutination at a cutoff of 1:16. The seroprevalence in household and stray cats was 3.9% and 14.3%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Among different age groups, the seroprevalence in cats varied from 1.9 to 7.9%, and that in dogs ranged from 9.6 to 20.4%; however, the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of the seroprevalence of C. felis exposure in cats and dogs in Lanzhou, northwestern China. Our results indicate that the presence of C. felis exposure in cats and dogs may pose a potential threat to human health.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23694730/