Feline vector-borne pathogens in the north and centre of Portugal

Particle and Fibre Toxicology

Ana C Silvestre-Ferreira⁶  Josep Pastor⁵  Olga Francino²  Laura Altet²  Lisete Vieira⁶  Luís Cardoso¹  Verónica L Martinez-Díaz⁴  Hugo Vilhena³ 

[1] Parasite Disease Group, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Oporto, Portugal;Veterinary Service for Molecular Genetics, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain;Baixo Vouga Veterinary Hospital, Águeda, Portugal;Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Agrigenomics Research Centre (CRAG), Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain;Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain;Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal

关键词: Portugal;    PCR;    Feline vector-borne diseases;    Cats;   

Others  :  1228003
DOI  :  10.1186/1756-3305-6-99

 received in 2013-01-31, accepted in 2013-03-06,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

In recent years, several clinical cases and epidemiological studies of feline vector-borne diseases (FVBD) have been reported worldwide. Nonetheless, information on FVBD agents and their prevalence in Portugal is scarce.

Methods

Three-hundred and twenty domestic cats presented to 30 veterinary medical centres in the north and centre regions of Portugal were randomly sampled. Blood was assayed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genera Anaplasma/Ehrlichia, genus Babesia, Hepatozoon canis, Hepatozoon felis, Leishmania infantum and the genus Rickettsia. Babesia-positive samples were further tested for Babesia canis and Babesia vogeli.

Results

Eighty (25.0%) out of the 320 cats were positive to at least one vector-borne agent, including seven (2.2%) cats co-infected with two agents. Two cats (0.6%) were infected with Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., four (1.3%) with B. canis, 26 (8.1%) with B. vogeli, 50 (15.6%) with H. felis, one (0.3%) with L. infantum and four (1.3%) with Rickettsia spp. No cat tested positive for H. canis. One cat (0.3%) was co-infected with B. canis and B. vogeli, three (0.9%) with B. vogeli and H. felis, one (0.3%) with H. felis and L. infantum, and two (0.6%) with H. felis and Rickettsia spp.

Conclusions

A considerable prevalence of infection with vector-borne pathogens among the domestic feline population of the north and centre of Portugal has been revealed by the present study. Additionally, this is the first detection of B. vogeli in cats from Europe and of H. felis in cats from Portugal.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Vilhena et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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