title: Molecular detection of haemotropic Mycoplasma species in urban and rural cats from Portugal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of haemoplasma infection in cats in Portugal and to assess risk factors for infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Real-time polymerase chain reaction techniques were used to assess 236 urban and rural cats from central and southern Portugal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of haemoplasma in the target population was 27.1% (64/236), with individual species' prevalences as follows: 17.8% (42/236) 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' (CMhm), 14.4% (34/236) Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf) and only 5.9% (14/236) 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' (CMt). Multiple infections were detected in 8.1% (19/236) of the samples, with triple and double infections with Mhf and CMhm being most commonly detected (5.9% [14/236] of cats). Haemoplasma infection was significantly higher in shelter cats (P = 0.015) than in cats with other lifestyles (eg, free-roaming/house pet/blood donors). Haemoplasma prevalence was also higher in cats with feline immunodeficiency virus infection (FIV; P = 0.011). Although sex was not significantly associated with haemoplasma infection (P = 0.050), CMt was predominantly found in males (P = 0.032). Also, the presence of haemoplasma multiple infections was statistically associated with being in a shelter (P = 0.021), male (P = 0.057) and with FIV co-infection (P = 0.004). No evidence of an association between haemoplasma infection and geographical location, age or feline leukaemia virus co-infection was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained in our study are consistent with the documented worldwide prevalence of feline haemoplasma infections, suggesting that the three main feline haemoplasma species are common in Portugal.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Foundation for Science and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal anaduarte@fmv.ulisboa.pt.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Foundation for Science and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Foundation for Science and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: José Henrique Duarte
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.affiliation: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Foundation for Science and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.affiliation: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Foundation for Science and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Berta São
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Bráz
authors.affiliation: Vetoeiras Central Veterinary Hospital of Cascais Line, Oeiras, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Vetoeiras Central Veterinary Hospital of Cascais Line, Oeiras, Portugal.
authors.forename: Telma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosado
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Study of the Environment and the Sea, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joaquim Pedro
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Biology, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santos-Reis
authors.affiliation: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Foundation for Science and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tavares
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000145:classification; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012307:Risk Factors; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial