Polymerase chain reaction survey of feline haemoplasma infections in Greece.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to use real-time polymerase chain reaction assays to determine the prevalence of three haemoplasma species in cats from Greece and to evaluate possible associations between haemoplasma infection and age, gender, feline immunodeficiency virus/feline leukaemia virus (FIV/FeLV) status and packed cell volume (PCV). Ninety-seven cats (24 ill anaemic, 55 ill non-anaemic, 18 healthy non-anaemic) were included in the study. Twenty cats (20.6%) were haemoplasma positive; seven cats were infected only with Mycoplasma haemofelis, 10 were infected only with 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' and three were co-infected with M haemofelis and 'Candidatus M haemominutum'. 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' was not detected. Haemoplasma infection was associated with older age (P=0.019). M haemofelis infection tended to be more common in anaemic cats (P=0.058). No association between gender and haemoplasma infection, or haemoplasma relative copy number and PCV, was detected. Retroviral infection rates were very low with only one FeLV proviral positive cat found.