Prevalence of Rickettsia Species Antibodies and Rickettsia Species DNA in the Blood of Cats with and Without Fever

Overview

Journal J Feline Med Surg

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2008 Sep 13

PMID 18786845

Citations 21

Authors

Danielle B Bayliss

Arianne K Morris

Mauricio C Horta

Marcelo B Labruna

Steven V Radecki

Jennifer R Hawley

Melissa M Brewer

Michael R Lappin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Rickettsia species antibodies have been detected in some cats but it is unknown whether infected cats develop clinical signs. The prevalence of Rickettsia species deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in blood from clinically ill cats has not been determined. The objective of this study was to determine if cats with fever (body temperature >or=102.5 degrees F [39.2 degrees C]) were more likely to have evidence of rickettsial infection than healthy, age-matched, control cats with a body temperature<102.5 degrees F. Rickettsia species polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were performed to detect rickettsial DNA extracted from blood (71 paired samples), indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFA) were performed to detect serum antibodies against Rickettsia felis (90 paired samples) and Rickettsia rickettsii (91 paired samples), and the results between pairs were compared. All samples were negative for Rickettsia species DNA. More cats with fever were seropositive for R felis or R rickettsii than control cats, but results were not statistically significant. Results of this pilot study failed to show an association between Rickettsia species DNA or Rickettsia species antibodies and fever.

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