A molecular survey of vector-borne pathogens and haemoplasmas in owned cats across Italy

Abstract

Background: Feline vector-borne pathogens (FeVBPs) have been increasingly investigated for their impact on cat health and their zoonotic potential. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of FeVBPs and haemoplasmas in cats across Italy and to identify potential risk factors linked to their occurrence. Methods: Blood samples from 958 owned cats living in the North (n = 556), Centre (n = 173) and South (n = 229) of Italy were tested for Babesia spp., Hepatozoon spp., Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp. and filarioids by conventional PCR (cPCR) and for haemoplasmas and Bartonella spp. by SYBR green real-time PCR. Cats included in the study represent a sub-sample from a larger number of animals enrolled in a previous study, which were selected based on the geographical origin. Data on cats' positivity for Leishmania infantum, feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), available from the previous study, were included and examined. Potential risk factors for pathogen infection were assessed in relationship to categorical variables including sex, geographical origin, breed, neutering status and age of cats. Results: Out of the 958 cats, 194 (20.2%) were positive for at least one of the tested pathogens, 89 (16%) from the North, 32 (18.5%) from the Centre and 73 (31.9%) from the South of Italy. A high prevalence of FeVBPs was detected in male cats (n = 125, 27.8%), living in the southern part of the country (n = 73, 31.9%), younger than 18 months of age (n = 24, 22.4%) and not neutered (n = 39; 27.5%). In particular, 24 cats (2.5%) tested PCR-positive for Bartonella spp., of which 1.6% for B. henselae and 0.9% for B. clarridgeiae. A total of 111 cats scored PCR-positive for haemoplasmas (11.6%), specifically "Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum" (n = 95, 9.9%), M. haemofelis (n = 14, 1.5%) and "Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis" (n = 2, 0.2%). Moreover, 39, 31 and 8 cats were positive for FeLV (4.1%), L. infantum (3.2%) and FIV (0.8%), respectively. Co-infections were registered for 19 (9.8%) cats. Conclusions: These results confirm the occurrence of haemoplasmas and FeVBPs throughout Italy. Preventive measures to protect both animal and human health should be carried out also for owned cats, even if no health status of animals has been assessed in this study.

Arthropod-Borne Pathogens in Stray Cats from Northern Italy: A Serological and Molecular Survey

“…The observed negativity for Babesia sp. agrees with other recent Italian surveys [7,71]. However, in other Italian studies, B. microti DNA was detected in cat blood samples [6], and a seropositivity rate around 20-24% was also observed [69,70].…”

“…The absence of Hepatozoon spp. DNA agrees with the results of a recent survey on cats from northern, central, and southern Italy [71]. Data on the occurrence of this parasite in cats is minimal.…”

“…Both detected percentages were higher than those reported in a previous investigation carried out in domestic cats that lived in private houses and/or gardens [43]. Our prevalence value is higher than the value found by Latrofa and collaborators [71], where 24 out of 958 (2.5%) cats tested PCR-positive for Bartonella spp., with 1.6% for B. henselae and 0.9% for B. clarridgeiae. The present investigation, as well as the above-cited study, found a higher number of cats positive to B. henselae genotype I, suggesting that it is more widespread than genotype II.…”

“…On the contrary, no DNA of Ehrlichia/Anaplasma spp. was found in another recent study including cats from throughout Italy [71]. E. canis and A. phagocytophilum are usually transmitted to dogs by R. sanguineus, Ixodes spp., Amblyomma spp., and Dermacentor spp.…”

“…Feline ABP occurrence and distribution among Italian cat populations are described in many studies, mainly focusing on southern regions and insular areas [4,8,[67][68][69][70], while northern [5,6,56] and central Italy had since recently received little attention [7,43,44]. A large survey investigating owned cats from northern, central, and southern Italy was also recently published [71].…”