Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Flea Borne Infections in Dogs and Cats

The purpose of this manuscript is to provide a brief review of the emerging clinical issues associated with Bartonella spp., haemoplasmas, and Rickettsia spp. infections. Please also see the AAFP Panel report on feline bartonellosis www.catvets.com and the ACVIM Consensus Statement on blood donor testing (www.acvim.org).

Feline bartonellosis.

Cats have proven by culture or DNA amplification to be infected by Bartonella henselae, B. clarridgeiae, B. koehlerae, B. quintana and B. bovis. Cats are the main reservoir hosts for B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae and are likely to be the reservoir for B. koehlerae.

Bartonella henselae is the most common cause of Cat Scratch Disease as well as bacillary angiomatosis, and peliosis hepatis, common disorders in humans with AIDS. Bartonella spp. are thought to have both intraendothelial and intra-erythrocytic phases of infection. Based on results of seroprevalence studies, culture, or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, cats are commonly exposed to or infected by Bartonella spp.. Recently, B. henselae has been documented as a cause of chronic disease syndromes like fever, headaches and chronic fatigue in immunocompetent veterinary health care providers. Most medical doctors may not recognize this differential and your physician should be informed if you are exhibiting these problems.

The organisms are transmitted between cats by Ctenocephalides felis and so prevalence is greatest in cats from regions where fleas are common. In a recent study in the United States, we collected fleas from cats and attempted to amplify Bartonella spp. DNA from flea digests as well as the blood of the cat. The prevalence rates for B. henselae in cats and their fleas were 34.8% and 22.8%, respectively. The prevalence rates for B. clarridgeiae in cats and their fleas were 20.7% and 19.6%, respectively. Results are similar in other studies performed around the world including recent studies completed in the United Kingdom and Australia. In Scotland, we showed the Bartonella spp. seroprevalence and DNA prevalence rates to be 15.3% and 5.8%, respectively.

Bartonella henselae survives in flea feces for days after being passed by infected C. felis. Infected flea feces are likely to contaminate cat claws during grooming and then Bartonella are inoculated into the human when scratched. It is also possible that open wounds are contaminated with infected flea feces. Thus, administration of flea control products, avoiding bites and scratches, and thorough cleansing of wounds or areas contaminated with flea feces is indicated to potentially decrease risk of acquiring bartonellosis.  […]