Genetic Variability and Prevalence of Bartonella henselae in Cats in Berlin, Germany, and Analysis of Its Genetic Relatedness to a Strain from Berlin That Is Pathogenic for Humans

Nineteen Bartonella henselae strains and one Bartonella clarridgeiae strain were isolated from blood samples of 97 pet cats and 96 stray cats from Berlin, Germany, indicating prevalence rates of 1 and 18.7%, respectively, for B. henselae and 0 and 1%, respectively, for B. clarridgeiae. Eighteen of 19 B. henselae isolates corresponded to 16S rRNA type II. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis revealed seven different PFGE types among the feline B. henselae strains. Interestingly, all feline isolates displayed low genetic relatedness to B. henselae strain Berlin-1, which is pathogenic for humans.