Bartonella spp. and hematological changes in privately owned domestic cats from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Bartonella spp. in cats from Rio de Janeiro

Authors

  • Aline Moreira Souza Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brasil
  • Nadia Regina Pereira Almosny Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brasil
  • Alexsandra Rodrigues Mendonça Favacho Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
  • Daniele Nunes Pereira Almeida Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
  • Renata Fernandes Ferreira Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brasil
  • Eliane Oliveira Ferreira Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
  • Namir Santos Moreira Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brasil
  • Elba Regina Sampaio Lemos Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.8152

Keywords:

Bartonellaceae, Bartonelaceae, feline, PCR, complete blood count

Abstract

Introduction: Bartonella infection in cats can represent a risk to owners, particularly today when considering the increase in cat populations and their role in human bartonellosis epidemiology. In the present study, we aimed to detect Bartonella spp. in blood samples from 163 asymptomatic privately-owned cats from the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil by using a conventional PCR test and also to evaluate the association between Bartonella spp. and hematological changes in positive cats.

Methodology: PCR assays were performed targeting the Bartonella spp heat shock protein (htrA) gene and complete blood counts were also performed in all samples. Positive PCR samples were confirmed by the presence of two genes, citrate synthase (gltA) and RNA polymerase beta-subunit-encoding (rpoB).

Results: A total of 74.85% (122/163) of the tested cats were positive for Bartonella spp and partial sequencing confirmed to be B. henselae. All hematological findings from the 163 cats tested (PCR-positive and negative), presented normal limits.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that B. henselae is present in almost 75% asymptomatic privately-owned domestic cats in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Our results also show that hematological findings in Bartonella spp. infected cats are uncommon. In this scenario, the use of PCR as a diagnostic tool in feline Bartonella infections should be considered. Finally, these results also demonstrate the potential risk of Bartonella spp. infection in the human population of the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

Author Biographies

Aline Moreira Souza, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brasil

Professor at Departamento de Patologia e Clínica Veterinária,Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)

Nadia Regina Pereira Almosny, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brasil

Professor at Departamento de Patologia e Clinica Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)

Alexsandra Rodrigues Mendonça Favacho, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Daniele Nunes Pereira Almeida, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Renata Fernandes Ferreira, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brasil

Departamento de Patologia e Clinica Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)

Eliane Oliveira Ferreira, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Professor at Departamento de Microbiologia Médica, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Namir Santos Moreira, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brasil

Departamento de Patologia e Clinica Veterinária, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF)

Elba Regina Sampaio Lemos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

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Published

2017-09-05

How to Cite

1.
Souza AM, Almosny NRP, Favacho ARM, Almeida DNP, Ferreira RF, Ferreira EO, Moreira NS, Lemos ERS (2017) Bartonella spp. and hematological changes in privately owned domestic cats from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Bartonella spp. in cats from Rio de Janeiro. J Infect Dev Ctries 11:591–596. doi: 10.3855/jidc.8152

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Original Articles