Bartonella and Toxoplasma infections in stray cats from Iraq.
Because of overpopulation, stray/feral cats were captured on military bases in Iraq as part of the US Army Zoonotic Disease Surveillance Program. Blood samples were collected from 207 cats, mainly in Baghdad but also in North and West Iraq, to determine the prevalence of Bartonella and Toxoplasma infections. Nine (4.3%) cats, all from Baghdad, were bacteremic with B. henselae type I. Seroprevalence was 30.4% for T. gondii, 15% for B. henselae, and 12.6% for B. clarridgeiae. Differences in Bartonella prevalence by location were statistically significant, because most of the seropositive cats were from Baghdad. There was no association between T. gondii seropositivity and either of the two Bartonella species surveyed. This report is the first report on the prevalence of Bartonella and T. gondii among stray cats in Iraq, which allows for better evaluation of the zoonotic risk potential to the Iraqi people and deployed military personnel by feral cat colonies.
Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Public Health Command Region-Pacific, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Alexandra D
AD
Switzer
Audrey C
AC
McMillan-Cole
Rickie W
RW
Kasten
Matthew J
MJ
Stuckey
Philip H
PH
Kass
Bruno B
BB
Chomel
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D001473:Bartonella / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002415:Cats; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015047:Zoonoses
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan