Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bartonella and hemoplasma infections in Ontario pet cats and fleas
By Kamrani, Ali et al.·Published in Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire·2008·Department of Pathobiology, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The prevalence of Bartonella, hemoplasma, and Rickettsia felis infections in domestic cats and in cat fleas in Ontario.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that about 4% of healthy pet cats in Ontario had infections from Bartonella (a type of bacteria) or hemoplasma (a type of blood parasite). The researchers tested blood samples from nearly 650 cats and discovered that the infections were relatively low among healthy pets. However, stray cats showed much higher rates of these infections. Additionally, Rickettsia felis, another bacteria, was found in fleas from some of the cats, marking its first identification in Canada. Keeping fleas under control is important for both pet health and public safety.
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Abstract
The prevalence of persistent bacteremic Bartonella spp. and hemoplasma infections was determined in healthy pet cats in Ontario. Blood samples from healthy cats sent to a diagnostic laboratory for routine health assessment over the course of 1 y were tested for Bartonella spp. using both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and blood culture, and for the presence of hemoplasma by PCR. The overall prevalence of Bartonella spp. by PCR and by culture combined was 4.3% (28/646) [3.7% (24/646) Bartonella henselae, 0.6% (4/646) Bartonella clarridgeiae]. The novel B. henselae PCR developed for this study demonstrated nearly twice the sensitivity of bacterial isolation. The overall prevalence of hemoplasma was 4% (30/742) [3.3% (25/742) Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum, 0.7% (5/742) Mycoplasma haemofelis]. There was no significant difference between the prevalence of infection by season or by age (< or = 2 y, > 2 y). Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis was identified, for the first time in Canada, in 1 cat. The prevalence of Bartonella (58%) and hemoplasma (47% M. haemofelis, 13% M. haemominutum) in blood from a small sampling (n = 45) of stray cats was considerably higher than that found in healthy pet cats. The prevalence of Rickettsia felis in cat fleas was also assessed. A pool of fleas from each of 50 flea-infested cats was analyzed for the presence of R. felis by PCR. Rickettsia felis was confirmed, for the first time in Canada, in 9 of the 50 samples. Therefore, the prevalence of Bartonella and hemoplasma infection in healthy pet cats is relatively low. Further, the control of cat fleas is important because of the public health significance of Bartonella and R. felis infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19086373/