Prevalence of Bartonella species and 16s rRNA gene types of Bartonella henselae from domestic cats in Thailand

• Published in: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 65; no. 6; pp. 783 - 787
• Main Authors: Maruyama, S, Sakai, T, Morita, Y, Tanaka, S, Kabeya, H, Boonmar, S, Poapolathep, A, Chalarmchaikit, T, Chang, CC, Kasten, RW, Chomel, BB, Katsube, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS ASTMH 01.12.2001; Allen Press
• Subjects: Animal bacterial diseases; Animals; Bacterial diseases; Bartonella - classification; Bartonella - genetics; Bartonella clarridgeiae; Bartonella henselae; Bartonella henselae - genetics; Biological and medical sciences; Cat Diseases - epidemiology; Cat-Scratch Disease - epidemiology; Cat-Scratch Disease - veterinary; Cats; Disease Reservoirs - veterinary; DNA Primers; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Thailand - epidemiology; Tropical medicine; Thailand; Asia; Fissipedia; Carnivora; Prevalence; Ribosomal DNA; Infection; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Domestic animal; Cat; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Bartonellaceae; Bartonella henselae
• ISSN: 0002-9637; 1476-1645
• DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2001.65.783

Prevalence of Bartonella infection among 275 cats in 9 sites from 4 geographical regions (northern area: Chiang Mai; central area: Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, and Bangkok; northeastern area: Khon Kaen, Roi Et, Ubon Ratcharthani, and Nakhonratchasima; southern area: Songkhla) of Thailand was investigated. Overall, Bartonella species were isolated from 27.6% (76 of 275) of the cats. The isolation rate varied from 12.8% (5 of 39) in Songkhla (southern area) to 50.0% (26 of 52) in Khon Kaen (northeastern area). Bartonella henselae and B. clarridgeiae were isolated from 82.9% (63 of 76) and 11.8% (9 of 76) of the Bartonella-positive cats, respectively. Coinfection with both species was found in 5.3% (4 of 76) of the bacteremic cats. Of the 67 bacteremic cats from which B. henselae was isolated, 48 (71.6%) and 13 (19.4%) were infected with only Type I and Type II, respectively. Coinfection with both types was observed in 9.0% (6 of 67) of the B. henselae-positive cats. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the presence of Bartonella infection in domestic cats from Thailand, which constitute a large reservoir of Bartonella infection in this country.