Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are blood infections in cats with anemia
By Ishak, Anthony M et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2007·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of Mycoplasma haemofelis, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum', Bartonella species, Ehrlichia species, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA in the blood of cats with anemia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with anemia was tested for various blood infections, including Mycoplasma and Bartonella species, to see if these germs were more common in sick cats compared to healthy ones. The study found that about 25% of the anemic cats had signs of these infections, similar to the rate in healthy cats. This means that while these germs can be present in cats with anemia, they are also found in healthy cats, and there wasn't a clear link between the infections and the anemia. If your cat is anemic, your vet may consider testing for these infections, but the results may not indicate a specific cause.
People also search for: cat anemia causes · Mycoplasma infection in cats · Bartonella treatment for cats
Abstract
Hemoplasmas are known causes of anemia in some cats and some Bartonella species have been associated with anemia in people and in dogs. In this retrospective study, we used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to determine the prevalence rates of Mycoplasma haemofelis, 'Candidatus M haemominutum', A phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia species, and Bartonella species DNA in the blood of cats with anemia and a control group of healthy cats. DNA of the organisms was amplified from 22 of 89 cats with anemia (24.7%) and 20 of 87 healthy cats (23.0%). DNA of a hemoplasma was amplified from 18 of 89 cats with anemia (20.2%) and 13 of 87 healthy cats (14.9%); DNA of a Bartonella species was amplified from five of 89 cats with anemia (5.6%) and seven of 87 healthy cats (8.0%). There were no statistically significant differences detected between groups.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16846745/