Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hemoplasma infections found in dogs and cats in northern Italy
By Ravagnan, Silvia et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2017·Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence and molecular characterization of canine and feline hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) in northern Italy.
Plain-English summary
A study in northern Italy found that 4.5% of dogs and 13.2% of cats tested positive for hemotropic mycoplasmas, which can cause infectious anemia. Among the dogs, only one out of 117 blood donors had the infection, while 6.1% of free-roaming dogs were affected. In cats, the infection was more common, with many showing signs of co-infection with different species. The findings suggest that while hemoplasma infections are rare in dogs, they are a significant concern for outdoor cats, especially older males and those with FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus).
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas), the agents of infectious anemia, have been reported in dogs and cats. Little data are available on hemoplasma infections in Italy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the species of hemoplasmas and their prevalence in dogs and cats of northern Italy. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 117 candidate blood donor dogs, 278 free-roaming dogs and 227 free-roaming cats in 2014 and 2015. Samples were first screened for hemoplasmas with a SYBR green real time PCR. The positive samples were confirmed by a second SYBR green real time PCR and sequencing. Co-infections were detected using species-specific SYBR green real time PCR. RESULTS: The overall prevalence in dogs was 4.5% (18/395). Among the donors only one dog was positive for Mycoplasma haemocanis (0.8%). The overall prevalence of infection in free-roaming dogs was 6.1% (17/278), which was significantly higher than in candidate donors (P < 0.05). Both M. haemocanis (13/278; 4.7%) and "Candidatus M. haematoparvum" (4/278; 1.4%) were identified. In dogs, no significant association was found between hemoplasma infection and gender, age or origin. The overall prevalence in cats was 13.2% (30/227). All three feline hemoplasma species were detected, i.e. "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum" (28; 12.3%), "Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis" (11; 4.8%) and Mycoplasma haemofelis (9; 4.0%). Half of the infected cats were co-infected (15; 6.6%) with different species of hemoplasmas. Risk factor analysis confirmed that older age, male gender and FIV positivity are predisposing factors for hemoplasma infection in cats. CONCLUSION: This study found that candidate blood donor dogs in northern Italy show a negligible risk for hemoplasma infection, confirming the appropriateness of the candidate selection criteria and the low prevalence in the study area. Accordingly, testing for hemoplasma should be considered optional for canine blood donor screening. Hemoplasma infection was instead common in free-roaming cats, and is expected to be non-negligible in owned cats with outdoor access. Feline candidates for blood donation will therefore need to be carefully selected.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28285588/