title: Prevalence of infectious diseases in cats and dogs rescued following Hurricane Katrina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of infectious diseases of animal and zoonotic importance in cats and dogs rescued and transferred from the Gulf Coast region following Hurricane Katrina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  414 dogs and 56 cats rescued and transferred from the Gulf Coast region within 4 months after the hurricane.
  
  
  METHODS
  EDTA-anticoagulated blood and serum samples were tested via PCR and serologic assays for infectious diseases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In dogs, prevalence was highest for anti-West Nile virus (WNV) antibodies (218/390 [55.9%]), Dirofilaria immitis antigen (195/400 [48.8%]), anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies (92/366 [25.1%]), and hemotropic mycoplasma DNA (40/345 [11.9%]). The DNA of Bartonella spp, Ehrlichia spp, or Babesia spp or anti-canine influenza virus antibodies were identified in < 2% of dogs. In cats, prevalence was highest for antibodies against Bartonella spp and DNA of Bartonella spp combined (49/55 [89.1 %]), anti-T gondii antibodies (13/55 [23.6%]), hemotropic mycoplasma DNA (5/47 [10.6%]), anti-WNV antibodies (5/48 [10.4%]), D immitis antigen (4/50 [8.0%]), and anti-FIV antibodies (4/56 [7.1%]). A total of 308 (74.4%) dogs and 52 (92.9%) cats had evidence of previous or current vector-borne infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cats and dogs rescued from the disaster region had evidence of multiple infectious diseases. The dispersal of potentially infectious animals to other regions of North America where some infections were not typically found could have contributed to new geographic ranges for these organisms or to underdiagnosis in affected animals because of a low index of suspicion in regions with low disease prevalence.
authors.affiliation: Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. levyjk@ufl.edu
authors.forename: Julie K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lappin
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Birkenheuer
authors.forename: Tara C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Charlotte H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Edinboro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002415:Cats; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004190:Disasters; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology