Prevalence of Bartonella henselae antibodies in serum of cats with and without clinical signs of central nervous system disease.
Bartonella henselae is occasionally associated with neurological dysfunction in people and some experimentally infected cats. The purpose of this study was to determine whether B henselae seroprevalence or titer magnitude varies among cats with neurological disease, cats with non-neurological diseases, and healthy cats while controlling for age and flea exposure. There was no difference in B henselae seroprevalence rates between cats with seizures and cats with other neurological diseases. Cats with non-neurological disease and healthy cats were more likely than cats with neurological disease to be seropositive. While the median B henselae antibody titer was greater in cats with seizures than in cats with other neurological disease, the median B henselae antibody titer was also greater in healthy cats than cats with seizures. The results suggest that titer magnitude cannot be used alone to document clinical disease associated with B henselae infection and that presence of B henselae antibodies in serum of cats with neurological disease does not prove the clinical signs are related to B henselae.
Pearce
Laurie K
LK
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA. lpearce@lamar.colostate.edu
Radecki
Steven V
SV
Brewer
Melissa
M
Lappin
Michael R
MR
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000276:immunology*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002372:Cat-Scratch Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002415:Cats / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D015995:Prevalence
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial