Successful treatment of Bartonella henselae endocarditis in a cat.
This report describes the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of a cat with vegetative valvular endocarditis temporally associated with natural infection with Bartonella henselae. Lethargy, abnormal gait and weakness were the main clinical signs that resulted in referral for diagnostic evaluation. Using a novel and sensitive culture approach, B henselae was isolated from the blood. Following antibiotic therapy there was total resolution of clinical signs, the heart murmur, the valvular lesion by echocardiography, and no Bartonella species was isolated or amplified from a post-treatment blood culture. In conjunction with previous case reports, infective endocarditis can be associated with natural B henselae infection in cats; however, early diagnosis and treatment may result in a better prognosis than previously reported.
Perez
Cristina
C
Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, NC, United States.
Hummel
James B
JB
Keene
Bruce W
BW
Maggi
Ricardo G
RG
Diniz
Pedro P V P
PP
Breitschwerdt
Edward B
EB
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents