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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 2006, p. 961-969, Vol. 44, No. 3
0095-1137/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.44.3.961-969.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Prevalence, Risk Factor Analysis, and Follow-Up of Infections Caused by Three Feline Hemoplasma Species in Cats in Switzerland

Barbara Willi,1 Felicitas S. Boretti,2 Claudia Baumgartner,1 Séverine Tasker,3 Bettina Wenger,1 Valentino Cattori,1 Marina L. Meli,1 Claudia E. Reusch,2 Hans Lutz,1 and Regina Hofmann-Lehmann1*

Clinical Laboratory,1 Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,2 School of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, United Kingdom3

Received 9 September 2005/ Returned for modification 28 October 2005/ Accepted 23 December 2005

Recently, a third novel feline hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. (aka hemoplasma), "Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis," in a cat with hemolytic anemia has been described. This is the first study to investigate the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and risk factors for all three feline hemoplasma infections in a sample of 713 healthy and ill Swiss cats using newly designed quantitative real-time PCR assays. "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum" infection was detected in 7.0% and 8.7% and Mycoplasma haemofelis was detected in 2.3% and 0.2% of healthy and ill cats, respectively. "Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis" was only detected in six ill cats (1.1%); three of them were coinfected with "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum." The 16S rRNA gene sequence of 12 Swiss hemoplasma isolates revealed >98% similarity with previously published sequences. Hemoplasma infection was associated with male gender, outdoor access, and old age but not with retrovirus infection and was more frequent in certain areas of Switzerland. "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum"-infected ill cats were more frequently diagnosed with renal insufficiency and exhibited higher renal blood parameters than uninfected ill cats. No correlation between hemoplasma load and packed cell volume was found, although several hemoplasma-infected cats, some coinfected with feline immunodeficiency virus or feline leukemia virus, showed hemolytic anemia. High M. haemofelis loads (>9 x 105 copies/ml blood) seem to lead to anemia in acutely infected cats but not in recovered long-term carriers. A repeated evaluation of 17 cats documented that the infection was acquired in one case by blood transfusion and that there were important differences among species regarding whether or not antibiotic administration led to the resolution of bacteremia.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Clinical Laboratory, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. Phone: 41 (44) 635 83 22. Fax: 41 (44) 635 89 23. E-mail: rhofmann{at}vetclinics.unizh.ch.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, March 2006, p. 961-969, Vol. 44, No. 3
0095-1137/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.44.3.961-969.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Sykes, J. E., Owens, S. D., Terry, J. C., Lindsay, L. L., Pusterla, N. (2008). Use of dried blood smears for detection of feline hemoplasmas using real-time polymerase chain reaction. jvdi 20: 616-620 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Reynolds, C. A., Lappin, M. R. (2007). "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum" Infections in 21 Client-Owned Cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 43: 249-257 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Willi, B., Boretti, F. S., Meli, M. L., Bernasconi, M. V., Casati, S., Hegglin, D., Puorger, M., Neimark, H., Cattori, V., Wengi, N., Reusch, C. E., Lutz, H., Hofmann-Lehmann, R. (2007). Real-Time PCR Investigation of Potential Vectors, Reservoirs, and Shedding Patterns of Feline Hemotropic Mycoplasmas. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 3798-3802 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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