Prolonged Bartonella henselae Bacteremia in Cats Caused by Reinfection
Author Information
Author(s): Mardjan Arvand, Viezens Juliane, Berghoff Julia
Primary Institution: University of Rostock
Hypothesis
Are recurrent B. henselae bacteremia episodes in cats caused by reinfection with a different strain?
Conclusion
Recurrent B. henselae bacteremia in naturally infected cats may be due to reinfection rather than relapse.
Supporting Evidence
- Both cats were infected by a second B. henselae strain at the second time blood was obtained.
- PFGE analysis showed differences between isolates from the same cat at different times.
- MLST analysis indicated that the isolates were not clonally related.
Takeaway
This study found that cats can get sick from a different strain of bacteria after already being infected, not just from the same one again.
Methodology
The study analyzed blood samples from two cats at two different times using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing.
Limitations
The study's findings are based on only two cats, which may limit the generalizability of the results.
Participant Demographics
Two naturally infected cats of patients with cat-scratch disease.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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