Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ehrlichia infection in domestic cats from Rio de Janeiro Brazil
By Guimarães, Andresa et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2019·Departamento de Medicina e Cirurgia Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ehrlichia spp. infection in domestic cats from Rio de Janeiro State, southeast Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of domestic cats from Greater Rio de Janeiro was tested for a type of infection called ehrlichiosis, caused by the Ehrlichia bacteria. Out of 216 cats, 57 tested positive for antibodies against Ehrlichia, and 3 had detectable genetic material from the bacteria. The cats showed signs of anemia (low red blood cells), low platelets, and other blood changes. While some cats had antibodies indicating exposure to the bacteria, they were negative for active infection. This suggests that ehrlichiosis is present in cats in this area, but more research is needed to understand it better.
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Abstract
Ehrlichiosis is caused by agents belonging to Ehrlichia genus. Despite the frequent reports on the serological and molecular detection of E. canis in dogs in Brazil, there is scant data on ehrlichiosis in brazilian cats. This study aimed at investigating the occurrence of Ehrlichia spp. in domestic cats from Greater Rio de Janeiro, and evaluating hematological changes associated with this rickettsial infection. We searched for IgG antibodies against E. canis on blood samples of 216 cats by Indirect Fluorescence Assay (IFA). Additionally, we performed nested PCR (nPCR) and real-time PCR (qPCR) assays targeting E. canis-16S rRNA and dsb gene, respectively. Fifty-seven (26.4%) cats were seropositive for Ehrlichia spp. by IFA. Ehrlichia spp.-16S rRNA gene fragments were detected in 3 cats (1.4%). Although the obtained 16S rRNA sequences showed 99 to 100% identity with E. canis, cats were negative in qPCR. Anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukocytosis, left shift neutrophil and hyperproteinemia were observed. Anemia was statistically associated with seropositivity to E. canis and kittens showed lower positivity rates (p<0.05). This study showed that Ehrlichia spp. occur in domestic cats from Greater Rio de Janeiro. Further studies involving culture isolation are much needed to more precisely characterize these organisms.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30892460/