Feline Vector-Borne Diseases and Their Possible Association with Hematological Abnormalities in Cats from Midwestern Brazil

Abstract

Among the parasitic and infectious diseases affecting cats, those caused by vector-borne pathogens deserve attention due to their ability to cause nonspecific clinical signs and clinicopathological abnormalities. We studied the presence of <i>Cytauxzoon</i> spp., <i>Ehrlichia</i> spp., and <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp. in blood samples from 135 cats referred to the veterinary teaching hospital of the Federal University of Goiás in midwestern Brazil. We also investigated co-infections with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) as well as the correlation between <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp. infection and cat variables, including age, sex, breed, and complete blood count abnormalities. Upon PCR testing, 20.7% (28/135) of samples were positive for <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp., 1.5% (2/135) for <i>Cytauxzoon</i> spp., and none for <i>Ehrlichia</i> spp. Co-infections with <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp. and <i>Cytauxzoon</i> spp. were detected in the two cats with the latter infection. <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp. infection was statistically associated with the simultaneous presence of thrombocytopenia and leukocytosis. This study confirms a high frequence of <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp. infection, with both <i>M. haemofelis</i> and ‘<i>Candidatus</i> Mycoplasma haemominutum’ circulating in this cat population. The clinical significance of <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp. infection in cats should be further explored and this infection should eventually be included in the differential diagnosis of thrombocytopenia and leukocytosis in otherwise apparently healthy cats.