Prevalence of Mycoplasma haemofelis and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum Pathogens in Shelter and Pet Cats in Lithuania

Abstract

Hemoplasmas, hemotropic mycoplasmas, are causative agents of infectious anemia in animals. Also infections with novel haemoplasma species have been described in humans, as well as infections with species that have possibly originated in animals, including cats, raising the possibility of zoonotic infections. Although previously uncommon, haemoplasma has become quite frequent in Europe during the past decade, becoming one of the emerging infectious pathogens. In the last few years an increasing number of cases with a wide variety of clinical signs have been recorded throughout the continent. In Lithuania the identification of these pathogens in veterinarian clinics is based on a microscopic analysis of blood smears revealing haemoplasma on the surface of the erythrocytes, but this is known to be very insensitive for diagnosis, and cytology cannot easily differentiate haemoplasma species. The use of molecular techniques is necessary to detect and identify Mycoplasma species effectively. In the present study, we examined prevalence of two haemoplasma species, Mycoplasma haemofelis and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum, both causative of infectious anemia in cats.[...]