title: Molecular detection of Bartonella henselae and Bartonella koehlerae from aortic valves of Boxer dogs with infective endocarditis.
abstract: Cardiac aortic valves from five dogs that died from acquired infective endocarditis were retrospectively molecularly screened for Bartonella infection. Identification was carried out using PCR targeting four gene fragments (rpoB, ribC, 16S rRNA and gltA), and the 16S-23S intergenic spacer (ITS). Bartonella henselae DNA was detected in aortic valve tissue from one Boxer dog with moderate subaortic stenosis (SAS). Bartonella koehlerae DNA was detected from the aortic valve of another Boxer dog with severe SAS. The latter dog was both a littermate and a housemate of the dog with the B. henselae infection. Other animals residing at the same household were also screened for Bartonella infection. B. henselae was molecularly detected in a spleen aspirate from the dogs' mother, and isolated and molecularly characterized from another housemate cat. This is the first molecular identification of B. henselae and B. koehlerae, two zoonotic Bartonella species, from valves of dogs with canine infective endocarditis, suggesting their role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Moreover, this is the first report describing the detection of B. koehlerae from dogs.
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Dan G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ohad
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morick
authors.forename: Boaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Avidor
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harrus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000382:microbiology*; D001473:Bartonella / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D002415:Cats; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer