Bartonella Inflammatory Cat Diseases: A Zoonosis-Donald H. DeForge, VMD-Milford Veterinary Hospital of CT

Donald H. DeForge, VMD
Milford Veterinary Hospital of CT
17 Seemans Lane
Milford, CT 06460
203-877-3221
1-800-838-3368
12August2017

Cat Bartonella Diseases
Bartonellosis: An Important Zoonosis


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A zoonosis is a disease that can be transmitted from animals to people or, more specifically, a disease that normally exists in animals but that can infect humans. 

Cat Bartonellosis, a zoonosis, is a very serious disease that can be spread to humans through cat scratches, bites, and in rare situations with simple contact with fur.  Cats develop Bartonella most commonly from fleas.  Please read an excellent Summary below from Dr. William Hardy, Jr, VMD-Director of the National Veterinary Lab..... the Western Blot testing Center for Bartonella in cats. Visit www.NatVetLab.com

Dr. Hardy in 1970 developed the first test for the Feline Leukemia Virus{FeLV], the immunofluorescent antibody {IFA} test for the detection of FELV infection in cats. In 1973, he and his colleagues, using the IFA test, discovered that FELV is spread contagiously among cats.  

He then established the first commercial laboratory for FeLV testing; the National Veterinary Lab.  In 1999, he developed the first practical test for detection of Bartonella infection in cats, the FeBart Test. Using this test, he and his colleagues have defined numerous Bartonella-induced diseases of cats.


Comments from Dr. Hardy:
SUMMARY: Bartonella are Gram-negative, fastidious bacteria (approximately 20 species known to date) that are widespread in nature infecting many animal species from wild rodents, ruminants, pet animals, to humans. They are transmitted by arthropod vectors including fleas, ticks, biting flies, and lice from animal-to animal (intraspecies) and species to species (interspecies). Direct animal-to-animal transmission, without vectors, probably occurs rarely and is exemplified by the transmission from cats to humans via scratches, bites, and fur contact. Most animal species have their own unique Bartonella species that establish chronic, possibly life-long, infections and carrier states. Only a relatively few infected animals develop a Bartonella-induced disease thus Koch’s postulate is difficult to apply to pathogenic micoorganisms that establish long term carrier states. Cats are infected with at least 6 Bartonella species and most remain healthy carriers for years, or possibly, for their entire lives. However, some cats develop chronic inflammatory diseases. The mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of Bartonella diseases are being elucidated rapidly. Bartonella possess pili which are hair-like structures found on the bacteria’s surface. Bartonella have a strong tendency to stick or clump together in tissues and in culture and to stick to, and penetrate, erythrocytes and endothelial cells. The ability to adhere to each other, and to the membranes of erythrocytes and endothelial cells, leads to the wide and varied tissue pathogenesis observed in cats, dogs and people. The broad tissue specificity of Bartonella is due to the adhesion to endothelial cells which are the constituents of capillaries. Bartonella proteins stimulate endothelial cells to proliferate causing neovascularization or angiogenesis and an outpouring of inflammatory cytokines which recruit inflammatory cells such as lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages. 

Thus, Bartonella induce chronic lymphocytic plasmacytic granulomatous inflammatory reactions in vascular tissues throughout the infected animal’s body. With the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of Bartonella, it is easier to understand the widespread disease distribution of Bartonella-inflammatory diseases in cats: oral diseases, respiratory diseases, ocular diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, skin diseases and diseases in major organs such as the spleen and liver

Infected healthy and diseased cats can be successfully treated with azithromycin, rifampin or doxycycline. Infected cats can transmit their Bartonella to people via scratches (cat scratch disease), bites, or rarely, through simple contact with their fur. Some of the resulting zoonotic diseases in humans can be severe and even life threatening in children, HIV-infected healthy or AIDS patients, transplant recipients, and people on chemotherapy. 

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It is very important for veterinarians to fully understand the biology of Bartonella in cats and dogs so they can become active in the public health effort to prevent the spread of these potentially dangerous microorganisms to people. I thank the numerous practicing veterinarians for their assistance in gathering the clinical data and therapy evaluations. The clinical Bartonella-disease association could not have been obtained without their collaboration. 



Comments from Dr. DeForge:
As a cat lover, it is essential to call your local doctor of veterinary medicine and have your cat screened for cat Bartonella disease.  A large number of cats that carry this disease have no clinical signs of infection.  I strongly recommend the Western Blot Test run at the National Veterinary Laboratory.  If your veterinarian is unfamiliar with this test have them call the National Veterinary lab on the protocol for sample collection and submission to the laboratory for examination.

Dr. Hardy concludes:
"Bartonella like other intracellular pathogens, may initiate immune attack of the patient's tissues and lead to long chronic debilitating disease long after the onset of infection and often after the infection has resolved.  It is clear that Bartonella sequelae are far more severe that the clinical entity known as cat scratch disease.  Veterinarians should take the lead in educating the public on the dangers of feline Bartonella zoonoses."

Dr. DeForge comments: If your cat is Bartonella positive after running a Western Blot test at the National Veterinary Lab it can be successfully treated with an antibiotic called- Azithromycin.  Your cat should than have a post treatment titer run at National Veterinary Labs- 6 months after treatment to be sure that the cat has been successfully treated and does not need re-treatment.  Flea control is essential to prevent re-infection of cats.  If your cat is Bartonella positive, contact your family internist....... especially if you have been accidentally bitten or scratched.  Contact your pediatrician if your child has been scratched or bitten by a Bartonella positive cat. Remember....... kids and kittens love to play and scraches can occur easily....you may not even know your child was scratched.  Let your internist and pediatrician be your guide in testing of yourself and family members for Bartonella. Your doctor can call National Veterinary Labs if they have questions about this zoonosis in humans.

Be safe....enjoy your kitten and please...... return to your kitten or your adult cat all the love they provide to you each day.  Have a Bartonella Test checked at the National Veterinary Lab.  Your local doctor of veterinary medicine will be happy to run this important screening exam.  

Questions:
Contact 
Dr. Don DeForge-Medical Director
Milford Veterinary Hospital of Connecticut
17 Seemans Lane-Milford, CT 06460
1-800-838-3368
203-877-3221
E-Mail: DoctorDeForge@yahoo.com 


Comments

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