Feline granulocytic ehrlichiosis ‐a report of a new clinical entity and characterisation of the infectious agent

Abstract

A 14-month-old shorthaired cat was presented to the Animal Hospital in Skara, Sweden, with a two-day history of lethargy, anorexia and tachypnoea. Clinical examination and laboratory investigations revealed fever, dehydration, tick infestation, neutrophilia with left shift, lymphopenia, hyperglycaemia and intracytoplasmic neutrophilic Ehrlichia inclusions. After treatment with intravenous doxycycline and lactated Ringer's solution the temperature returned to normal. Oral treatment with doxycycline continued for 20 days. The ehrlichiosis diagnosis was confirmed by serology, polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. No relapse was observed during the eight-month follow-up period. The granulocytotropic Ehrlichia strain found in the cat was later characterised by analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence which showed 100 per cent identity to DNA sequences found in Swedish canine and equine granulocytotropic Ehrlichia strains. This is, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the first reported case of granulocytic ehrlichiosis in a cat.

Hematological values associated to the serological and molecular diagnostic in cats suspected of Ehrlichia canisinfection

“…Symptoms suggestive of ehrlichiosis infection have also been reported in domestic cats in several countries. The Ehrlichia species that naturally infect cats have not yet been fully determined, although monocyte and lymphocyte inclusions and, more consistently, E. canis DNA, have been detected in cats (BREITSCHWERDT et al, 2002;OLIVEIRA et al, 2009;BRAGA et al, 2012), as well as some granulocytic inclusions related to feline granulocytic ehrlichiosis caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum (BUORO et al, 1989;BOULOY et al, 1994;BEAUFILS et al, 1995;BJOERSDORFF et al, 1999;SHAW et al, 2001;AGUIRRE et al, 2004).…”

Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in a cat

“…There are just a few specific reports that include detailed case descriptions regarding the disease in domestic cats (Bjoersdorff et al 1999;Lappin et al 2004;Tarello 2005;SchaarschmidtKiener et al 2009;Heikkila et al 2010).…”

“…The DNA of these pathogens was detected in the blood of naturally infected cats from Sweden, Italy, UK and Ireland ( Bjoersdorff et al 1999;Shaw et al 2005;Torina et al 2008). Morulae of A. phagocytophilum were observed in neutrophils of naturally infected animals from South America (Brazil), Africa (Kenya), as well as Italy and Sweden.…”

“…Morulae of A. phagocytophilum were observed in neutrophils of naturally infected animals from South America (Brazil), Africa (Kenya), as well as Italy and Sweden. Except for the Swedish cases, it is not entirely clear if these structures were connected with an infection with A. phagocytohilum or other rickettsiae (Bjoersdorff et al 1999;Lappin et al 2004). Aguirre et al (2004) used an indirect immunofluorescence assay to test 122 blood samples from cats from Madrid.…”

“…There are just a few specific reports that include detailed case descriptions regarding the disease in domestic cats (Lappin et al 2004). In Europe such cases were described in Sweden (Bjoersdorff et al 1999), in Italy (Tarello 2005), in Switzerland (Schaarschmidt-Kiener et al 2009) and in Finland (Heikkila et al 2010).…”