Mycoplasma haemocanis infection--a kennel disease?
Mycoplasma haemocanis (formerly Haemobartonella canis) is a red blood cell parasite that causes disease mainly in immunosuppressed and splenectomized dogs. Clinical outbreak of the disease resulted in failure of a large experimental project. We aimed to identify whether M. haemocanis has increased prevalence in kennel-raised dogs. In a prospective study, we compared the prevalence of M. haemocanis in whole blood (anti-coagulated by use of EDTA) collected from pet dogs (University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Ill.; n = 60) with that in blood from dogs raised in three distinct kennels in western Europe (WE; n = 23), eastern Europe (EE; n = 20), and North America (NA; n = 20). Screening included antibody testing and microscopy of blood smears. The presence of M. haemocanis was identified using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for specific DNA of the organism. None of the pet dogs (0%) was test positive for M. haemocanis DNA. Mycoplasma haemocanis was found in dogs tested at all of the kennels. Infection rate in the three kennels was 30, 35, and 87%, respectively (all P < 0.001 versus control, chi2-test). Latent infection with M. haemocanis was not a single observation in kennel-raised dogs. Prevalence may be higher than that in a pet dog population. The potential exists for these latent infections to adversely affect or confound research results.
Kemming
Gregor I
GI
Institute for Surgical Research, Klinikum Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany.
Messick
Joanne B
JB
Enders
Georg
G
Boros
Mihaly
M
Lorenz
Baerbel
B
Muenzing
Silvia
S
Kisch-Wedel
Hille
H
Mueller
Werner
W
Hahmann-Mueller
Agnes
A
Messmer
Konrad
K
Thein
Eckart
E
D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D006799:Housing, Animal; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000378:metabolism; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011446:Prospective Studies