Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are Bartonella infections in dogs and cats in Korea
By Kim, You-seok et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary science·2009·Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine and BK21 Program for Veterinary Science, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae in cats and dogs in Korea.
Plain-English summary
A study in Korea found that a significant number of cats and dogs tested positive for a bacteria called Bartonella henselae, which can be transmitted through bites or scratches. In feral cats, about 41.8% of blood samples showed the bacteria, while pet cats had a 33.3% positivity rate. Pet dogs had a lower rate, with 16.6% of blood samples testing positive. This suggests that both cats and dogs can carry this bacteria, which may pose a risk to humans. It's important for pet owners to be aware of this and discuss any concerns with their veterinarian.
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Abstract
Blood, saliva, and nail samples were collected from 54 dogs and 151 cats and analyzed for the presence of Bartonella henselae with a novel nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Bartonella (B.) henselae was detected in feral cat blood (41.8%), saliva (44.1%), and nail (42.7%) samples. B. henselae was also detected in pet cat blood (33.3%), saliva (43.5%), and nail (29.5%) samples and in pet dog blood (16.6%), saliva (18.5%), and nail (29.6%) samples. Nine samples were infected with B. clarridgeiae and 2 were co-infected with B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae of blood samples of dogs. This report is the first to investigate the prevalence of B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae in dogs and cats in Korea, and suggests that dogs and cats may serve as potential Bartonella reservoirs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19255530/