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. 2018 Apr 25;56(5):e01732-17.
doi: 10.1128/JCM.01732-17. Print 2018 May.

Improvement of Bartonella henselae DNA Detection in Cat Blood Samples by Combining Molecular and Culture Methods

Marina Rovani Drummond  1 , Bruno Grosselli Lania  2 , Pedro Paulo Vissotto de Paiva Diniz  3 , Rovilson Gilioli  2 , Daniele Masselli Rodrigues Demolin  2 , Diana Gerardi Scorpio  4   5 , Edward B Breitschwerdt  6 , Paulo Eduardo Neves Ferreira Velho  2
Affiliations

Improvement of Bartonella henselae DNA Detection in Cat Blood Samples by Combining Molecular and Culture Methods

Marina Rovani Drummond et al. J Clin Microbiol. .

Abstract

Bartonella spp. are bacteria of worldwide distribution that cause asymptomatic to fatal infections in animals and humans. The most common zoonotic species is Bartonella henselae, for which cats are the major natural reservoir host. To better understand Bartonella sp. diagnostic limitations, we determined the frequency of bloodstream infection in 112 cats by comparing and combining the results of multiple conventional and nested PCRs from blood and liquid culture samples. Using liquid culture conventional PCR, Bartonella sp. DNA was amplified from 27.7% of samples (31/112) compared to 90.2% of samples (101/112) by combining nested PCR from blood and liquid culture, indicating that PCR testing of more than one type of sample provides better sensitivity than a standalone PCR and that bloodstream infection is very frequent among cats in southeastern Brazil. This study reinforces the need for multistep testing for Bartonella sp. infection to prevent false-negative diagnostic results, even in reservoir hosts such as cats that typically maintain higher bacteremia levels.

Keywords: Bartonella; PCR; bacteremia; cats; diagnosis.

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Figures

FIG 1
FIG 1
Flow chart of culture- and PCR-based procedures performed to determine Bartonella sp. bloodstream infection in cats from Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
FIG 2
FIG 2
Area-proportional Venn diagram of Bartonella sp. PCR results from Brazilian cats.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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