Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bartonella henselae found in 11 ticks removed from one cat
By Regier, Yvonne et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2017·University Hospital, Germany·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Molecular detection of Bartonella henselae in 11 Ixodes ricinus ticks extracted from a single cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat had 11 ticks removed from its body, and all of them tested positive for Bartonella henselae, a bacteria that can cause illness in humans and animals. The cat also showed signs of exposure to the bacteria through a blood test, but the bacteria could not be grown from its blood. This suggests that the cat might be a source for ticks to pick up this bacteria. While it's still unclear how this affects the health of pets and people, it's important for cat owners to be aware of tick prevention and monitoring.
People also search for: cat ticks Bartonella henselae · how to remove ticks from cats · cat tick prevention tips
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Bartonella henselae is a highly prevalent, vector-borne pathogen. Transmission to humans and animals by ticks is discussed controversially. Here, we present a case report, where eleven Ixodes ricinus ticks all harbouring B. henselae DNA were removed from one single cat. RESULTS: The first feeding tick was tested positive for B. henselae DNA. The cat was also found to be seropositive for anti-B. henselae IgG antibodies (titer 1:640). Bartonella henselae was not cultivatable from cat blood. Ten more feeding ticks removed 7 months later contained also B. henselae DNA. Sequence analysis of the 16SrDNA and the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region revealed 100% sequence homology between all ticks. Bartonella adhesin A (badA) and VirB/VirD4 type IV secretion system (virB) DNA were also detected in all ticks. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that cats may serve as a reservoir for adult ticks to acquire B. henselae. Whether this observation implies an increased threat for human and animal health needs to be resolved.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28285589/