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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 2007, p. 1159-1166, Vol. 45, No. 4
0095-1137/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.02005-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Worldwide Occurrence of Feline Hemoplasma Infections in Wild Felid Species{triangledown}

Barbara Willi,1 Claudia Filoni,2,3 José L. Catão-Dias,2,4 Valentino Cattori,1 Marina L. Meli,1 Astrid Vargas,5 Fernando Martínez,5 Melody E. Roelke,6 Marie-Pierre Ryser-Degiorgis,7 Christian M. Leutenegger,8 Hans Lutz,1 and Regina Hofmann-Lehmann1*

Clinical Laboratory, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,1 Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil,2 Instituto Brasileiro para Medicina da Conservação-TRÍADE, Brazil,3 Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo, Brazil,4 Centro de Cría de Lince Ibérico, El Acebuche, Doñana National Park, Matalascañas, Spain,5 Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., NCI-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702,6 Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health, Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland,7 Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, California8

Received 28 September 2006/ Returned for modification 5 November 2006/ Accepted 5 February 2007

While hemoplasma infections in domestic cats are well studied, almost no information is available on their occurrence in wild felids. The aims of the present study were to investigate wild felid species as possible reservoirs of feline hemoplasmas and the molecular characterization of the hemoplasma isolates. Blood samples from the following 257 wild felids were analyzed: 35 Iberian lynxes from Spain, 36 Eurasian lynxes from Switzerland, 31 European wildcats from France, 45 lions from Tanzania, and 110 Brazilian wild felids, including 12 wild felid species kept in zoos and one free-ranging ocelot. Using real-time PCR, feline hemoplasmas were detected in samples of the following species: Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx, European wildcat, lion, puma, oncilla, Geoffroy's cat, margay, and ocelot. "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum" was the most common feline hemoplasma in Iberian lynxes, Eurasian lynxes, Serengeti lions, and Brazilian wild felids, whereas "Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis" was the most prevalent in European wildcats; hemoplasma coinfections were frequently observed. Hemoplasma infection was associated with species and free-ranging status of the felids in all animals and with feline leukemia virus provirus-positive status in European wildcats. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA and the partial RNase P gene revealed that most hemoplasma isolates exhibit high sequence identities to domestic cat-derived isolates, although some isolates form different subclusters within the phylogenetic tree. In conclusion, 9 out of 15 wild felid species from three different continents were found to be infected with feline hemoplasmas. The effect of feline hemoplasma infections on wild felid populations needs to be further investigated.

* 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

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 14 February 2007.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 2007, p. 1159-1166, Vol. 45, No. 4
0095-1137/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JCM.02005-06
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • 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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