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. 2016 Feb 29;2(1):2055116916634109.
doi: 10.1177/2055116916634109. eCollection 2016 Jan-Jun.

Prevalence of selected infectious disease agents in stray cats in Catalonia, Spain

Sara Ravicini  1 , Josep Pastor  1 , Jennifer Hawley  2 , Melissa Brewer  2 , Jorge Castro-López  1 , Melissa Beall  3 , Michael R Lappin  1
Affiliations

Prevalence of selected infectious disease agents in stray cats in Catalonia, Spain

Sara Ravicini et al. JFMS Open Rep. .

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of the current study was to investigate the prevalence rates of the following infectious agents in 116 stray cats in the Barcelona area of Spain: Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella species, Borrelia burgdorferi, Chlamydia felis, Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia species, feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1), feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), haemoplasmas, Mycoplasma species and Rickettsia species.

Methods: Serum antibodies were used to estimate the prevalence of exposure to A phagocytophilum, Bartonella species, B burgdorferi, Ehrlichia species and FIV; serum antigens were used to assess for infection by D immitis and FeLV; and molecular assays were used to amplify nucleic acids of Anaplasma species, Bartonella species, C felis, D immitis, Ehrlichia species, FCV, FHV-1, haemoplasmas, Mycoplasma species and Rickettsia species from blood and nasal or oral swabs.

Results: Of the 116 cats, 63 (54.3%) had evidence of infection by Bartonella species, FeLV, FIV or a haemoplasma. Anaplasma species, Ehrlichia species or Rickettsia species DNA was not amplified from these cats. A total of 18/116 cats (15.5%) were positive for FCV RNA (six cats), Mycoplasma species DNA (six cats), FHV-1 DNA (three cats) or C felis DNA (three cats).

Conclusions and relevance: This study documents that shelter cats in Catalonia are exposed to many infectious agents with clinical and zoonotic significance, and that flea control is indicated for cats in the region.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: IDEXX Laboratories supplied the test kits used in this study. While one IDEXX employee (Beall) is an author, she played no role in the study design nor in the collection or analysis of the samples. None of the authors have any financial or personal relationships that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper.

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