Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bartonella antibodies found in 3% of sick dogs in Northern California
By Henn, Jennifer B et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2005·Department of Population Health and Reproduction, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Seroprevalence of antibodies against Bartonella species and evaluation of risk factors and clinical signs associated with seropositivity in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of sick dogs in northern California was tested for antibodies against Bartonella, a type of bacteria that can cause various health issues. Out of 3,417 dogs, only 102 tested positive, with herding breeds and female dogs being more likely to show signs of infection. Dogs that were seropositive often had symptoms like lameness, nasal discharge, or an enlarged spleen. If your dog is showing any of these symptoms, especially if they are a herding breed, it might be worth discussing Bartonella testing with your veterinarian.
People also search for: dog lameness causes · Bartonella infection in dogs · symptoms of dog nasal discharge · herding dog health issues
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the seroprevalence of antibodies against Bartonella spp in a population of sick dogs from northern California and identify potential risk factors and clinical signs associated with seropositivity. SAMPLE POPULATION: Sera from 3,417 dogs. PROCEDURE: Via an ELISA, sera were analyzed for antibodies against Bartonella vinsonii subsp berkhoffii, Bartonella clarridgeiae, and Bartonella henselae; test results were used to classify dogs as seropositive (mean optical density value > or = 0.350 for B henselae or > or = 0.300 for B clarridgeiae or B vinsonii subsp berkhoffi) or seronegative. Overall, 305 dogs (102 seropositive and 203 seronegative dogs) were included in a matched case-control study. RESULTS: 102 of 3,417 (2.99%) dogs were seropositive for > or = 1 species of Bartonella. Of these, 36 (35.3%) had antibodies against B henselae only, 34 (33.3%) had antibodies against B clarridgeiae only, 2 (2.0%) had antibodies against B vinsonii subsp berkhoffii only, and 30 (29.4%) had antibodies against a combination of those antigens. Compared with seronegative dogs, seropositive dogs were more likely to be herding dogs and to be female, whereas toy dogs were less likely to be seropositive. Seropositive dogs were also more likely to be lame or have arthritis-related lameness, nasal discharge or epistaxis, or splenomegaly. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Only a small percentage of dogs from which serum samples were obtained had antibodies against Bartonella spp. Breed appeared to be an important risk factor for seropositivity. Bartonella infection should be considered in dogs with clinical signs of lameness, arthritis-related lameness, nasal discharge or epistaxis, or splenomegaly.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15900951/