Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Nov;52(6):1319-1340.
doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2022.06.010.

Hemotropic Mycoplasma

Séverine Tasker  1
Affiliations
Review

Hemotropic Mycoplasma

Séverine Tasker. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Hemoplasma infections are erythrocytic infections in both cats and dogs but are more common, and more often associated with disease, in cats. Mycoplasma haemofelis is the most pathogenic species in cats, causing hemolytic anemia and fever in immunocompetent hosts, whereas Mycoplasma haemocanis usually only results in hemolytic anemia in splenectomized or immunocompromised dogs. Diagnosis is by polymerase chain reaction on blood samples because cytology is unreliable. Prompt treatment of clinical disease with supportive care and at least 2 weeks of doxycycline is usually successful. Transmission pathways have not been confirmed, but indirect, via vectors, and direct via bites/fights/predation are likely.

Keywords: Hemoparasite; Hemoplasma; Infectious anemia; Vector-borne disease; Zoonosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure S. Tasker has received financial support for infectious disease research from BSAVA PetSavers, Journal of Comparative Pathology Educational Trust, Langford Trust, Langford Vets Clinical Research Fund, Morris Animal Foundation, NERC/BBSRC/MRC, Petplan Charitable Trust, South-West Biosciences DTP, The Wellcome Trust, and Zoetis Animal Health and has received speaker honoraria or consultancy fees in the past from Elanco (Bayer) and veterinary associations such as BSAVA, WSAVA, and ISFM. S. Tasker is also a member of the Companion Animal Vector-Borne World Forum, supported by Elanco, and the European Advisory Board for Cat Diseases, a scientifically independent committee whose activities have been supported by Boehringer Ingelheim, the founding sponsor, and by Virbac and Idexx.

LinkOut - more resources