Molecular detection of feline arthropod-borne pathogens in cats in Cuiabá, state of Mato Grosso, central-western region of Brazil

Hemotrophic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas), Bartonellasp., Hepatozoon sp. and Cytauxzoon felis are prominent pathogens that circulate between cats and invertebrate hosts. The present study aimed to detect the presence of DNA from hemoplasmas,Bartonella sp., Hepatozoon sp. andCytauxzoon felis, and then confirm it by means of sequencing, in blood samples from cats in Cuiabá, MT, Brazil. From February 2009 to February 2011, blood samples with added EDTA were collected from 163 cats that were being housed in four different animal shelters in the city of Cuiabá, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil and from 15 cats that were admitted to the veterinary hospital of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT). Out of the 178 cats sampled, 15 (8.4%) were positive for hemoplasmas: four (2.2%) forMycoplasma haemofelis, 12 (6.7%) for ‘Candidatus M. haemominutum’ and one (0.5%) for ‘Candidatus M. turicensis’. One cat (0.5%), a patient that was attended at the veterinary hospital, was coinfected with M. haemofelis, ‘Candidatus M. haemominutum’ and ‘Candidatus M. turicensis’, based on sequencing confirmation. Four cats were positive for Bartonella spp.: three (1.7%) for B. henselae and one (0.5%) for B. clarridgeiae. None of the animals showedCytauxzoon sp. or Hepatozoon sp. DNA in their blood samples. This study showed that cats housed in animal shelters in the city of Cuiabá, state of Mato Grosso, are exposed to hemoplasmas andBartonella species.

嗜血支原体（hemoplasmas）、巴尔通体属（Bartonella sp.）、肝簇虫属（Hepatozoon sp.）以及猫泰勒虫（Cytauxzoon felis）是在猫与无脊椎动物宿主之间循环传播的重要病原体。本研究旨在检测巴西马托格罗索州库亚巴市家猫血液样本中是否存在嗜血支原体、巴尔通体属、肝簇虫属及猫泰勒虫的DNA，并通过测序予以验证。2009年2月至2011年2月期间，研究人员从巴西马托格罗索州库亚巴市4家不同动物收容所的163只家猫，以及就诊于马托格罗索联邦大学（UFMT）兽医院的15只家猫中采集了添加乙二胺四乙酸（EDTA）的血液样本。在本次采集的178只家猫中，15只（8.4%）嗜血支原体检测呈阳性：其中4只（2.2%）为血嗜支原体（Mycoplasma haemofelis）阳性，12只（6.7%）为‘候选名血小支原体（Candidatus M. haemominutum）’阳性，1只（0.5%）为‘候选名图里卡支原体（Candidatus M. turicensis）’阳性。经测序验证，就诊于兽医院的1只家猫（0.5%）同时感染了血嗜支原体、候选名血小支原体与候选名图里卡支原体。4只家猫巴尔通体属病原体检测呈阳性：其中3只（1.7%）为汉赛巴尔通体（B. henselae）阳性，1只（0.5%）为克拉里奇巴尔通体（B. clarridgeiae）阳性。所有受试家猫的血液样本中均未检出肝簇虫属及猫泰勒虫的DNA。本研究表明，巴西马托格罗索州库亚巴市动物收容所内的家猫存在暴露于嗜血支原体与巴尔通体属病原体的情况。