Haemobartonella felis: recent developments in diagnosis and treatment
- 31 March 2002
- journal article
- review article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery
- Vol. 4 (1), 3-11
- https://doi.org/10.1053/jfms.2001.0155
Abstract
Haemobartonella felis is a pleomorphic uncultivated wall-less haemotrophic bacterial parasite. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences from a number of isolates of H felis has demonstrated that these bacteria are most closely related to species in the genus Mycoplasma, and Haemobartonella and related organisms are currently being reclassified as Mollicutes. Diagnosis by cytological examination of blood smears has been problematic, but recent molecular studies have led to the development of sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for diagnosis. Such studies have also resulted in the recognition of two distinct strains of H felis, which are divided into different groups based on phylogenetic analysis. This evolutionary divergence between strains is accompanied by differences in pathogenecity. This review discusses new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of H felis, focusing on the use of, and interpretation of, PCR assays.Keywords
This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- Use of a polymerase chain reaction assay to detect and differentiate two strains of Haemobartonella felis in naturally infected catsAmerican Journal of Veterinary Research, 2001
- Specific In Situ Hybridization of Haemobartonella felis with a DNA Probe and Tyramide Signal AmplificationVeterinary Pathology, 2000
- Leukoerythroblastosis and normoblastemia in the catJournal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 1999
- Competitive, quantitative PCR analysis of Haemobartonella felis in the blood of experimentally infected catsJournal of Microbiological Methods, 1999
- Feline HemobartonellosisVeterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 1993
- Feline haemobartonellosis: clinical, haematological and pathological studies in natural infections and the relationship to infection with feline leukaemia virusVeterinary Record, 1988
- A comparative study of the efficiency of acridine orange and some Romanowsky staining procedures in the demonstration of Haemobartonella felis in feline bloodVeterinary Parasitology, 1987
- Haemobartonellosis in the Domestic CatActa Veterinaria Scandinavica, 1972
- Feline infectious anaemia in the London areaPublished by Wiley ,1970
- Letters to the editorNew Zealand Veterinary Journal, 1967