Haemobartonella felis infection was demonstrated in 38 cats which could be divided into four groups as follows: group A, feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) free cats with H felis infection alone; group B, FeLV free cats with H felis infection and other clinical conditions; group C, FeLV positive cats with H felis infection but no clinical manifestation of FeLV related or any other intercurrent disease; and group D, FeLV positive cats with H felis infection and clinical manifestations of FeLV related or other diseases. Cats in group A were healthy carriers of the infection and none was anaemic, whereas some in group B had clinical haemobartonellosis and anaemia. This anaemia was mainly mild, normocytic and normochromic. Most of the cats in group C and all in group D were more severely ill and anaemic, the anaemia usually being macrocytic and hypochromic. Splenomegaly occurred only in groups C and D. Treatment with tetracyclines did not eliminate H felis from any of the cats and blood transfusions were ineffective in promoting long term recovery from anaemia in cats with intercurrent H felis and FeLV infections. The findings in the cats in groups C and D were further compared with those in a fifth group of cats which were infected with FeLV but free of H felis.

A survey of 155 cats for Haemobartonella felis infection in the Glasgow area revealed a prevalence of 23.2 per cent. The infection occurred in all age groups and there was no significant difference between sex or breed type. Infection with H felis was more prevalent among cats with fleas and those with feline leukaemia virus infection than among the other cats in the sample. H felis organisms identified were mainly coccoid with diameters between 0.63 micron and 1.73 micron. Rod forms, found in two cats, had lengths ranging from 0.79 micron to 1.1 micron and diameters between 0.17 micron and 0.24 micron.

No abstract

The clinical findings and the result of periodicity studies in a 41/2‐ year‐old dog with high microfilaraemia due to the microfilariae of Dipetalonema reconditum are presented. The main clinical findings were a dermatosis and emaciation. The microfilaraemia tended to exhibit a nocturnal cyclic variation with the peak occurring between 04.00 hours (4.00 a.m.) and 05.00 hours (5.00 a.m.) and the lowest level between 12.00 hours (12.00 noon) and 14.00 hours (2.00 p.m.).