Seroprevalence of Borreliosis, Q Fever and Tularemia in cats In the Czech Republic

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F62157124%3A16170%2F18%3A43876386" target="_blank" >RIV/62157124:16170/18:43876386 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

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DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Seroprevalence of Borreliosis, Q Fever and Tularemia in cats In the Czech Republic

Original language description

Domestic cat (Felis catus) is one of the most popular home pet that can be affected by several pathogenic microorganisms. The number of cats is increasing and so the risk of transmission of cat-to-human infection. The cat as an active hunting carnivore comes into contact with rodents, which are main reservoirs of some zoonotic pathogens. The cat also can be infested by ticks, the vector of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), Francisella tularensis, and Coxiella burnetii. These diseases have been studied in animal models, in particular dogs, but in cats this issue (i.e. epizootology, pathogenesis, and clinical presentation, etc.) has been scarcely explored. The aim was to contribute to the expansion of knowledge of certain diseases in the cat, especially to determine the seroprevalence of pathogens: B. burgdorferi s. l. - etiology of Lyme disease; C. burnetii cause of Q fever; and F. tularensis - etiology of tularemia. Samples of cat sera were collected during the years 2014-2018 from patients attending the Small Animal Clinic at the University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno. This group included cats that were taken from shelters or lived in a household with more cats that were outdoor/indoor or cats only outdoor. In all circumstances cats had the potential chance of contact with infectious agents. Sera from strictly indoor cats were excluded. Sonified whole cell antigen for Bbsl (B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi s.s., Bioveta, a.s., CZ), Coxiella burnetii (Batch NO. 87, Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, SK), and Francisella tularensis (Bioveta, a.s., CZ) were used. Serum antibodies IgM and IgG were measured fot all diseases using the modified ELISA method incorporating whole-cell antigens. All results were statistically evaluated. A total of 357 samples from 287 cats were examined for the presence of Ab against 3 selected pathogens. Some cats were sampled repeatedly. If the interval of samples was longer than 3 months, then the serum was included separately. IgM antibodies against Bbsl were detected at 102/287, i.e. a total positivity of 35.54%. IgG antibodies were detected in 97/287, ie a total positivity of 33.80%. IgM antibodies against C. burnetii were detected in 49/287, total positivity 17.07%. IgG antibodies were detected at 38/287, ie a total positivity of 13.24%. IgM antibodies against F. tularensis were detected in 23/287, i.e. the total positivity was 8.01%. IgG antibodies were detected at 27/287, i.e. a total positivity of 9.41%. IgM or IgG (or IgM and IgG simultaneously) for 2 or more pathogens were found in 110 cats (287), 38.33%. The observed occurrence of all antibodies in the examined animal population does not exceed the values reported in the literature. However, there are few studies dedicated to detection of antibodies in the blood serum of cats. We assume that a large number of cats were infected, but without clinical symptoms. In such case, the disease could not been diagnosed.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

30502 - Other medical science

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2018

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů