Prevalence ofBartonella henselaeantibodies in serum of cats with and without clinical signs of central nervous system disease

Abstract

Bartonella henselae is occasionally associated with neurological dysfunction in people and some experimentally infected cats. The purpose of this study was to determine whether B henselae seroprevalence or titer magnitude varies among cats with neurological disease, cats with non-neurological diseases, and healthy cats while controlling for age and flea exposure. There was no difference in B henselae seroprevalence rates between cats with seizures and cats with other neurological diseases. Cats with non-neurological disease and healthy cats were more likely than cats with neurological disease to be seropositive. While the median B henselae antibody titer was greater in cats with seizures than in cats with other neurological disease, the median B henselae antibody titer was also greater in healthy cats than cats with seizures. The results suggest that titer magnitude cannot be used alone to document clinical disease associated with B henselae infection and that presence of B henselae antibodies in serum of cats with neurological disease does not prove the clinical signs are related to B henselae.

BartonellaSpecies Antibodies and Hyperglobulinemia in Privately Owned Cats

“…seropositive rates were higher in healthy control group cats than in cats with uveitis or neurologic disease. 36,37 However, based on the results of this study, testing for bartonellosis as described above may be warranted in cats with unexplained hyperglobulinemia, particularly if clinical findings previously associated with bartonellosis and exposure to C. felis are present.…”

“…in this study (40%) was consistent with results from previous reports. 1,9,14,19,24,25,30,[33][34][35][36][37][38] Results of this study demonstrated a strong positive correlation between seropositivity with Bartonella spp. and hyperglobulinemia in this population of privately owned cats.…”

“…antibody prevalence rates in cats. 5,19,[35][36][37] The majority of the studies reported to date have had small sample numbers or have varied widely in age distribution, which could have affected the results. Based on careful evaluation of prevalence data by age for the other reported studies, it appears that seroprevalence increases with age until cats reach 1-3 years of age, after which it plateaus or declines.…”

Bartonellosis: an emerging infectious disease of zoonotic importance to animals and human beings

“…In an initial study involving cats with seizures ( n =63) and cats with other neurologic diseases ( n =82), there was no difference in B. henselae seroprevalence rates between cats with seizures and cats with other neurologic diseases when compared with cats with nonneurologic illness ( n =163) or compared with a healthy cat population ( n =97) 81 . Seroprevalence rates were very high in all 3 groups, including seroreactivity in 50% of the cats with neurologic disease, 64% of cats with nonneurologic illnesses, and 70% of the healthy cat population 81 . In a subsequent retrospective study of 100 client‐owned cats with neurologic disease, serum and CSF were assayed for Bartonella spp.…”

Bartonellosis

“…21,23 In naturally infected cats, Bartonella can rarely cause endocarditis and myocarditis. [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] These include uveitis, 30-32 caudal gingivostomatitis, 32-37 fever of unknown origin, 38 lower urinary tract disease, 32,36,39 chronic kidney disease, 32,36 pancreatitis, 40 lymphadenopathy ( Figure 52-2), 37 neurologic disease, 32,41,42 pododermatitis, 43 and chronic idiopathic rhinosinusitis. B. henselae DNA has been amplified from aortic valvular vegetative lesions of cats, with visualization of the organism in lesions using silver stains.…”