Seroprevalence of Bartonella henselae infection and correlation with disease status in cats in Switzerland

Abstract

The prevalence of infection with Bartonella henselae was investigated in cats from different areas of Switzerland. Serum samples of 728 cats were examined for antibodies to B. henselae by immunofluorescent antibody testing, and the results were analyzed with a view to a possible correlation between a positive titer and signalment, clinical signs, infection with feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline coronavirus (FCoV), or feline spumavirus (FeSFV), and the living environments of the cats. The seroprevalence in all cats was 8.3%. No significantly different prevalence was found in sick versus healthy cats (9.2 versus 7.2%); however, in sick cats seropositive for B. henselae, there was an increased frequency of stomatitis and a variety of diseases of the kidneys and the urinary tract. There was an increased prevalence of B. henselae in cats positive for FCoV (P ‫؍‬ 0.0185) or FeSFV (P ‫؍‬ 0.0235) and no statistically significant increased prevalence in cats infected with FeLV or FIV. There was no correlation between a positive titer and sex or breed. The same prevalence of B. henselae antibodies was found in cats with and without access to the outdoors and in cats from single-and multicat households. The seroprevalence was increased in cats living south of the Alps (12.1%); however, this difference was not significant (P ‫؍‬ 0.0616).

Lack of correlation between Bartonella DNA detection within fleas, serological results, and results of blood culture in a Bartonella-infected stray cat population

“…Detectable antibodies to Bartonella spp. were found in 61% of the cats, a prevalence similar to those reported in other studies (3.7-81%) [8,[29][30][31]. The antibody response to B. henselae has been demonstrated to occur 2 weeks after infectious challenge [32].…”

BartonellaSpecies Antibodies and Hyperglobulinemia in Privately Owned Cats

“…Antibodies against FIV and T. gondii were detected in several cats, as has been previously reported, which might have played a role in development of hyperglobulinemia. 21,22,33,38 In this study, all but one of the Bartonella spp. seropositive cats studied had polyclonal gammopathies.…”

“…bacteremia for gingivostomatitis and hepatic disease in cats. [19][20][21][22][23][24] Experimentally infected cats have been shown to have infiltrates of lymphocytes and plasma cells in a number of tissues, including the feline liver, pancreas, and kidneys. 15,18 Because serum biochemical panel results were not reported in those studies, it remains unknown whether these inflammatory infiltrates were associated with laboratory evidence of disease.…”

Investigation of Bartonella henselae in Cats in Ankara, Turkey

“…In some studies, B. henselae seropositivity rate has not been gender related (Glaus et al, 1997;Maruyama et al, 2003). Maruyama et al (1998) and Bergmans et al (1997) found that male cats had higher positives, whilst Sander et al (1997) found that female cats had higher positives.…”