title: Prevalence of Rickettsia species antibodies and Rickettsia species DNA in the blood of cats with and without fever.
abstract: Rickettsia species antibodies have been detected in some cats but it is unknown whether infected cats develop clinical signs. The prevalence of Rickettsia species deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in blood from clinically ill cats has not been determined. The objective of this study was to determine if cats with fever (body temperature >or=102.5 degrees F [39.2 degrees C]) were more likely to have evidence of rickettsial infection than healthy, age-matched, control cats with a body temperature<102.5 degrees F. Rickettsia species polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were performed to detect rickettsial DNA extracted from blood (71 paired samples), indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFA) were performed to detect serum antibodies against Rickettsia felis (90 paired samples) and Rickettsia rickettsii (91 paired samples), and the results between pairs were compared. All samples were negative for Rickettsia species DNA. More cats with fever were seropositive for R felis or R rickettsii than control cats, but results were not statistically significant. Results of this pilot study failed to show an association between Rickettsia species DNA or Rickettsia species antibodies and fever.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. danielle@colostate.edu
authors.forename: Danielle B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Bayliss
authors.forename: Arianne K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Mauricio C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Horta
authors.forename: Marcelo B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
authors.forename: Steven V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Radecki
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hawley
authors.forename: Melissa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lappin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D002415:Cats; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D041161:Rickettsia felis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012284:Rickettsia rickettsii / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial
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