Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mycoplasma infections causing anemia in pet cats in Latvia
By I. Berzina et al.·Published in JFMS open reports·2021·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Haemotropic Mycoplasma species in pet cats in Latvia: a study, phylogenetic analysis and clinical case report
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old domestic shorthair cat in Latvia was diagnosed with feline infectious anemia, a condition caused by a type of bacteria called Mycoplasma. The cat showed symptoms like weakness and lethargy, prompting the veterinarian to perform blood tests that confirmed the infection. Treatment involved supportive care and antibiotics, which helped improve the cat's condition. This case highlights the presence of Mycoplasma species in cats in Latvia, with the specific strain causing the infection being reported for the first time in the region.
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Abstract
Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate whether haemotropic Mycoplasma species are detected in pet cats in Latvia, to perform a phylogenetic analysis of the detected pathogens and to report a clinical case of feline infectious anaemia. Methods Peripheral blood samples (n = 125) from pet cats were submitted; 99 samples were adequate to test for the presence of Mycoplasma species DNA by nested PCR. A clinical case was added in the later stages of the study. Positive isolates were subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Results The prevalence of ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ was 15% (n = 15/99), that of Mycoplasma haemofelis was 5% (5/99) and that of ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis’ was 2% (n = 2/99). Cases of coinfection included ‘Candidatus M haemominutum’ + M haemofelis (4%; n = 4/99) and ‘Candidatus M haemominutum’ + ‘Candidatus M turicensis’ (1%; n = 1/99). This is the first published report of M haemofelis infection in the Baltic states. Two different ‘Candidatus M turicensis’ isolates were discovered after phylogenetic analysis. Conclusions and relevance This report is the first of an autochthonous feline infectious anaemia case in the Baltic region. The prevalence of Mycoplasma species was similar to that in other northern European countries. Phylogenetic analysis revealed variability of the isolates; one of the ‘Candidatus M turicensis’ genotypes was detected for the first time in Europe.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/34345434