Emerg Infect Dis 2017 Nov;23(11):1876-1879

In 2015, we investigated Bartonella quintana and typhus group rickettsiae in body lice from homeless persons in Bogotá, Colombia. We found B. quintana-infected body lice and seroprevalence of this microorganism in 19% of homeless persons and typhus group rickettsiae in 56%. Read More

Curr Opin Ophthalmol 2017 Nov;28(6):607-612

aDepartment of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem bDepartment of Ophthalmology, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.

Purpose Of Review: The eye is commonly affected in disseminated cat scratch disease (CSD) caused by Bartonella species. This article reviews recently published data on epidemiology of CSD, clinical features of ocular involvement, diagnosis and treatment.

Recent Findings: The annual incidence of CSD has been estimated as 4. Read More

J Wildl Dis 2017 Oct 4. Epub 2017 Oct 4.

1   Department of Biology, Fort Lewis College, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, Colorado 81301, USA.

Simultaneous infections with multiple pathogens can alter the function of the host's immune system, often resulting in additive or synergistic morbidity. We examined how coinfection with the common pathogens Sin Nombre virus (SNV) and Bartonella sp. affected aspects of the adaptive and innate immune responses of wild deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). Read More

Parasitol Res 2017 Oct 3. Epub 2017 Oct 3.

Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia.

Wild-living rodents are important hosts for zoonotic pathogens. Bartonella infections are widespread in rodents; however, in Slovakia, knowledge on the prevalence of these bacteria in small mammals is limited. We investigated the prevalence and diversity of Bartonella species in the spleens of 640 rodents of six species (Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus sylvaticus, Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus subterraneus, and Micromys minutus) and in the European mole (Talpa europaea) from three different habitat types in south-western and central Slovakia. Read More

Vet Parasitol 2017 Oct 25;245:102-105. Epub 2017 Aug 25.

Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Vector-borne infections are persistent public health threats worldwide. In recent years, a number of mosquito-borne viruses have emerged or re-emerged to cause major disease outbreaks. Other vector-borne pathogens, however, remain understudied and much neglected especially in the developing regions of the world including Southeast Asia. Read More

PLoS One 2017 20;12(9):e0184621. Epub 2017 Sep 20.

Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, INSERM, AP-HM, URMITE, IHU - Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.

In poor African countries, where no medical and biological facilities are available, the identification of potential emerging pathogens of concern at an early stage is challenging. Head lice, Pediculus humanus capitis, have a short life, feed only on human blood and do not transmit pathogens to their progeny. They are, therefore, a perfect tool for the xenodiagnosis of current or recent human infection. Read More

Mikrobiyol Bul 2017 Jul;51(3):286-292

Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul, Turkey.

Bartonella henselae the causative agent of cat scratch disease (CSD), is a gram-negative, coccobacillus, facultative intracellular bacterium CSD usually presents as a clinical form of benign local lymphadenopathy (LAP) but sometimes it may progress to severe life threatening complications. Despite the fact that CSD is known to be a common disease, which is one of the important causes of local LAPs in the world, there are few publications in our country. For the diagnosis, the clinician should suspect for CSD and has to ask to the patient whether there is a story of cat scratch or not. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2017 Sep 19;10(1):436. Epub 2017 Sep 19.

Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Laboratoire d'Epidémiologie et de Microbiologie Vétérinaire LR11IPT03, Service d'Entomologie Médicale, 1002, Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisie.

Background: Bartonellosis is an emerging vector-borne disease caused by different intracellular bacteria of the genus Bartonella (Rhizobiales: Bartonellaceae) that is transmitted primarily by blood-sucking arthropods such as sandflies, ticks and fleas. In Tunisia, there are no data available identifying the vectors of Bartonella spp. In our research, we used molecular methods to detect and characterize Bartonella species circulating in fleas collected from domestic animals in several of the country's bioclimatic areas. Read More

J Vet Diagn Invest 2017 Sep 1:1040638717729187. Epub 2017 Sep 1.

Biogal, Galed Labs. Acs Ltd., Kibbutz Galed, Israel (Maurice, Yaaran).

We compared a qualitative in-clinic (IC)-PCR for the detection of Mycoplasma haemofelis DNA with the results of a commercial qualitative laboratory-based, conventional (c)PCR. In order to determine the specificity of both tests, Bartonella spp. samples were included. Read More

Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Kleintiere Heimtiere 2017 Oct 13;45(5):329-335. Epub 2017 Sep 13.

Michèle Bergmann, Medizinische Kleintierklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539 München, Germany, Email:

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are caused by a wide range of pathogens, which are transmitted by a variety of vectors, such as ticks and fleas. As a result of climate changes, more vector-borne diseases are becoming endemic in Germany, not only in dogs, but also in cats. For some of the pathogens prevalence data still need to be investigated in Germany. Read More

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2017 Aug 24;59:e59. Epub 2017 Aug 24.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Hantaviroses e Rickettsioses, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Bacillary angiomatosis (BA) is an angioproliferative disease of immunocompromised patients that usually presents as vascular tumors in the skin and subcutaneous tissues. It is caused by chronic infections with either Bartonella henselae or B. quintana. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2017 Sep 12;2017. Epub 2017 Sep 12.

Department of internal medicine, Clinique Saint-Pierre Ottignies, Ottignies, Belgium.

Cat-scratch disease is due to Bartonella henselae and commonly presents as a localised papular lesion with regional lymphadenopathy. We report the case of a young man suffering general symptoms and dysautonomy characterised by an erectile dysfunction due to an invasive cat-scratch disease. He was successfully treated by tetracyclines during 3 weeks. Read More

Ther Apher Dial 2017 Oct 8;21(5):430-440. Epub 2017 Sep 8.

Division of Nephrology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, National Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Systemic cat scratch disease or bartonellosis is a clinical entity caused by Bartonella henselae, which manifests with necrotizing granulomas in visceral organs. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is the vector responsible for horizontal transmission of the disease from cat to cat, and its bite can also infect humans. In immunocompromised patients including chronic kidney disease and renal transplant recipients, it can cause persistent and disseminated cat scratch disease. Read More

Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo 2017 Sep 4;59:e62. Epub 2017 Sep 4.

Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA.

Bartonella henselae is a relevant causative agent of bartonelloses in humans. We described an immunocompetent patient with clinical manifestation of chronic cervical lymphadenopathy after a cat-scratch in her forearm. This case shows B. Read More

Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2017 Sep 31;67(9):3156-3161. Epub 2017 Aug 31.

7​Centre National de Référence des Rickettsia, Coxiella et Bartonella, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 05, France 3​URMITE, Aix Marseille Université, UM63, CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM 1095 IHU - Méditerranée Infection, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille cedex 05, France.

A rickettsial organism harboured by Amblyomma triguttatum ticks on Barrow Island, Western Australia, was discovered after reports of possible rickettsiosis among local workers. Subsequent isolation of this rickettsia (strain BWI-1) in cell culture and analysis of its phylogenetic, genotypic and phenotypic relationships with type strains of Rickettsia species with standing in nomenclature suggested that it was sufficiently divergent to warrant its classification as a new species. Multiple gene comparison of strain BWI-1 revealed degrees of sequence similarity with Rickettsia raoultii, its closest relative, of 99. Read More

J Feline Med Surg 2017 Aug 1:1098612X17727233. Epub 2017 Aug 1.

4 Veterinary Transfusion Unit (EMOVET-UNIPG), Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.

Objectives The increased demand for animal blood transfusions creates the need for an adequate number of donors. At the same time, a high level of blood safety must be guaranteed and different guidelines (GLs) deal with this topic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of different GLs in preventing transfusion-transmissible infections (TTI) in Italian feline blood donors. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2017 30;27:67. Epub 2017 May 30.

Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie, CHU Ibn Sina, Université Mohammad V Souissi, Rabat, Maroc.

Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is a common cause of chronic benign lymphadenopathy in the child and the young adult. Bartonella henselae is the agent responsible for this disease. Common symptoms include regional lymphadenopathy associated with fever. Read More

BMC Vet Res 2017 Aug 15;13(1):238. Epub 2017 Aug 15.

University of Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Building B14, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.

Background: Vector-borne diseases of dogs in Australian Aboriginal communities are relatively unexplored. These dogs represent a unique group with variable ecto- and endo-parasitic burdens, nutritional stresses and a general lack of veterinary intervention. We investigated haemoprotozoal and bacterial pathogen prevalences in relation to erythrocyte and platelet numbers in dogs from North-West New South Wales (N-W NSW) and the Northern Territory (NT; Central Australia). Read More

Rev Med Liege 2017 Jul;72(7-8):331-335

Service d'Infectiologie et Médecine interne, CHU de Liège, site Sart Tilman, Liège, Belgique.

We describe a case of a young healthy patient who presents a lot of hepato-splenic lesions caused by a systemic cat scratch disease. This case allows us to discuss the uncommon manifestations of the cat scratch disease and to describe the two types of hepatic lesions caused by a systemic bartonella infection : the granulomatosis and peliosis. Read More

Epidemiol Infect 2017 Oct 7;145(13):2694-2700. Epub 2017 Aug 7.

Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine,College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University,1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, 252-0880,Japan.

Cats are known to be the main reservoir for Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae, which are the agents of 'cat-scratch disease' in humans. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of the two Bartonella species on 1754 cat bloods collected from all prefectures in Japan during 2007-2008 by a nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region. Overall, Bartonella DNA was detected in 4·6% (80/1754) of the cats examined. Read More

Mayo Clin Proc 2017 Aug;92(8):1319-1320

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN.

J Zoo Wildl Med 2017 Jun;48(2):532-535

Louse flies or deer keds, Lipoptena spp., are widespread in Neotropical cervids, but the vector-borne pathogens of louse flies had only been previously reported in the Northern hemisphere. This is the first report of Bartonella spp. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2017 Aug;23(8)

Bartonella quintana endocarditis, a common cause of culture-negative endocarditis in adults, has rarely been reported in children. We describe 5 patients 7-16 years of age from Ethiopia with heart defects and endocarditis; 4 cases were caused by infection with B. quintana and 1 by Bartonella of undetermined species. Read More

PLoS One 2017 20;12(7):e0181696. Epub 2017 Jul 20.

Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America.

Bartonellae are phylogenetically diverse, intracellular bacteria commonly found in mammals. Previous studies have demonstrated that bats have a high prevalence and diversity of Bartonella infections globally. Isolates (n = 42) were obtained from five bat species in four provinces of Thailand and analyzed using sequences of the citrate synthase gene (gltA). Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017 Aug 19;97(2):413-422. Epub 2017 Jul 19.

Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunología, Hospital de Pediatría, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), Mexico City, Mexico.

Although emerging nonviral pathogens remain relatively understudied in bat populations, there is an increasing focus on identifying bat-associated bartonellae around the world. Many novel Bartonella strains have been described from both bats and their arthropod ectoparasites, including Bartonella mayotimonensis, a zoonotic agent of human endocarditis. This cross-sectional study was designed to describe novel Bartonella strains isolated from bats sampled in Mexico and evaluate factors potentially associated with infection. Read More

Ann Thorac Surg 2017 Jul;104(1):e57-e59

Department of Medicine D, Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel; Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address:

Rapid progression of valvular stenosis in the setting of infective endocarditis is extremely rare. Here we describe a patient with Bartonella endocarditis on a bioprosthetic aortic valve that caused rapidly progressive aortic stenosis without regurgitation. At operation the bioprosthetic valve was severely fibrotic and calcified, with markedly thickened and distorted leaflets and circular partial detachment from the aortic ring. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017 Jun 19;11(6):e0005684. Epub 2017 Jun 19.

ISGlobal, Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Analysis of immune responses in Bartonella bacilliformis carriers are needed to understand acquisition of immunity to Carrion's disease and may allow identifying biomarkers associated with bacterial infection and disease phases. Serum samples from 144 healthy subjects from 5 villages in the North of Peru collected in 2014 were analyzed. Four villages had a Carrion's disease outbreak in 2013, and the other is a traditionally endemic area. Read More

J Vet Intern Med 2017 Jul 30;31(4):1081-1090. Epub 2017 May 30.

Vector Borne Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.

Background: Studies investigating the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens in southern California dogs are limited. Occult infections might be misdiagnosed as idiopathic immune-mediated disease.

Hypothesis/objectives: (1) To determine the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens in southern California dogs with compatible clinical findings using PCR and serologic panels and (2) to determine whether testing convalescent samples and repeating PCR on acute samples using the same and different gene targets enhance detection. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017 Jul 25;17(7):483-494. Epub 2017 May 25.

1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland .

Bartonella spp. are parasites of mammalian erythrocytes and endothelial cells, transmitted by blood-feeding arthropod ectoparasites. Different species of rodents may constitute the main hosts of Bartonella, including several zoonotic species of Bartonella. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017 Aug 13;8(5):715-720. Epub 2017 May 13.

Sørlandet Hospital Health Enterprise, Department of Medical Microbiology, Egsveien 100, PO-Box 416, NO-4604, Kristiansand, Norway.

The most common tick-borne human disease in Norway is Lyme borreliosis. Ticks in Norway also harbour less known disease-causing agents such as Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Borrelia miyamotoi and Rickettsia helvetica. However, human infections caused by these pathogens have never been described in Norway. Read More

Joint Bone Spine 2017 May 19. Epub 2017 May 19.

Division of Rheumatology, CHU Ambroise-Paré, boulevard Kennedy 2, 7000 Mons, Belgium.

Ugeskr Laeger 2017 May;179(20)

The castor bean tick, Ixodes ricinus, is common in woodlands in most of Denmark. Besides Borrelia burgdorferi, it can harbour a number of pathogenic microorganisms such as tick-borne encephalitis virus, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia helvetica, Francisella tularensis, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Bartonella spp., Borrelia miyamotoi and Babesia spp. Read More

Epidemiol Infect 2017 Jul 15;145(10):2038-2052. Epub 2017 May 15.

Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias,Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp),Jaboticabal, SP,Brazil.

The order Chiroptera is considered the second largest group of mammals in the world, hosting important zoonotic virus and bacteria. Bartonella and hemotropic mycoplasmas are bacteria that parasite different mammals' species, including humans, causing different clinical manifestations. The present work aimed investigating the occurrence and assessing the phylogenetic positioning of Bartonella spp. Read More

Clin Microbiol Rev 2017 Jul;30(3):709-746

Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA

Since the reclassification of the genus Bartonella in 1993, the number of species has grown from 1 to 45 currently designated members. Likewise, the association of different Bartonella species with human disease continues to grow, as does the range of clinical presentations associated with these bacteria. Among these, blood-culture-negative endocarditis stands out as a common, often undiagnosed, clinical presentation of infection with several different Bartonella species. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2017 May;23(5):861-863

Two cases of Bartonella prosthetic valve endocarditis were cured when treated for 2 weeks with gentamicin and 3 months with doxycycline. Clinical cure correlated with decreased Bartonella antibody titers. This report suggests a strategy to monitor, treat, and cure Bartonella prosthetic valve endocarditis. Read More

Adv Exp Med Biol 2017 ;1020:33-42

Laboratory of Rickettsiae, Chlamydiae and Spirochetes, National Institute of Public Heath-National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, Poland.

Bartonella species, vector-borne etiologic agents of many systemic or self-limited infections, are responsible for a widening spectrum of diseases in humans, including inflammatory conditions of the eye. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is any relationship between uveitis and the evidence of Bartonella spp. infection in the serum, ocular fluid, and cataract mass in patients with intraocular inflammation. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2017 Jul 12;55(7):2035-2044. Epub 2017 Apr 12.

Division of Global Health Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nairobi, Kenya.

Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are often acute, with significant morbidity and mortality. Routine diagnosis of such infections is limited in developing countries and requires modern equipment in advanced laboratories that may be unavailable to a number of patients in sub-Saharan Africa. We developed a TaqMan array card (TAC) that detects multiple pathogens simultaneously from cerebrospinal fluid. Read More

Pediatr Infect Dis J 2017 May;36(5):516-520

From the *Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, †Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, and ‡Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

Two children with congenital heart disease status post surgical correction presented with prolonged constitutional symptoms, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia. Concern for malignancy prompted bone marrow biopsies that were without evidence thereof. In case 1, echocardiography identified a multilobulated vegetation on the conduit valve. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017 Jun 12;17(6):376-383. Epub 2017 Apr 12.

3 Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias , Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain .

Roads fragment vertebrate populations and affect the dynamics and dispersal patterns of vertebrate parasites. We evaluated how vertebrate ticks distribute near roads and road underpasses in human-caused road-fragmented landscapes in Seville, SW Spain. We sampled 49 stations with 93 individualized sampling points and assessed tick abundance. Read More

J Med Entomol 2017 Jul;54(4):1076-1079

Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.

Fleas are known vectors of zoonotic agents. Thirty-five fleas, including 28 Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché), four Pulex irritans (L.), and three Echidnophaga gallinacea (Westwood) from 19 rural dogs from southwestern Uganda were analyzed for the presence of Rickettsia spp. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017 Apr 11;11(4):e0005428. Epub 2017 Apr 11.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Vector-Borne Disease, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America.

Bartonella infections were investigated in seven species of bats from four regions of the Republic of Georgia. Of the 236 bats that were captured, 212 (90%) specimens were tested for Bartonella infection. Colonies identified as Bartonella were isolated from 105 (49. Read More

Pediatr Emerg Care 2017 Apr 11. Epub 2017 Apr 11.

From the Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI.

Acute worsening of visual acuity with optic disc edema is commonly assumed to be due to idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Bartonella henselae is an unusual cause to abrupt vision loss that is associated with optic disc edema and exudative macular stars seen on examination. It is an important cause to be aware of because it responds very well to antibiotic treatment. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2017 Aug 16;26(8):763-771. Epub 2017 Mar 16.

Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, Institute of Clinical Pathology Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Hospital and the Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Electronic address:

Blood-culture negative endocarditis (BCNE) accounts for up to 35% of all cases of infective endocarditis (IE) and is a serious life-threatening condition with considerable morbidity and mortality. Rapid detection and identification of the causative pathogen is essential for timely, directed therapy. Blood-culture negative endocarditis presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Read More

JMM Case Rep 2017 Feb 28;4(2):e005071. Epub 2017 Feb 28.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University , Örebro SE 701 82 , Sweden.

Introduction. Tularaemia is caused by infection with Francisella tularensistransmitted via direct contact with an infected hare carcass or indirectly through the bites of vectors, but may be cat-bite-associated as well. Medical history and reliable diagnostic analysis are important in order to differentiate it from other cat-associated infections, e. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017 Jun 27;17(6):388-397. Epub 2017 Mar 27.

1 Department of Population Health and Reproduction, University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine , Davis, California.

Bartonellae are blood-borne and vector-transmitted pathogens, some are zoonotic, which have been reported in several Mediterranean countries. Transmission from dogs to humans is suspected, but has not been clearly demonstrated. Our objectives were to determine the seroprevalence of Bartonella henselae, Bartonella vinsonii subsp. Read More

Zoonoses Public Health 2017 Sep 22;64(6):485-490. Epub 2017 Mar 22.

Center for One Health Research, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Patients receiving immunosuppressive cancer treatments in settings where there is a high degree of human-animal interaction may be at increased risk for opportunistic zoonotic infections or reactivation of latent infections. We sought to determine the seroprevalence of selected zoonotic pathogens among patients diagnosed with haematologic malignancies and undergoing chemotherapeutic treatments in Romania, where much of the general population lives and/or works in contact with livestock. A convenience sample of 51 patients with haematologic cancer undergoing chemotherapy at a referral clinic in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, was surveyed regarding animal exposures. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2017 Mar 16;10(1):146. Epub 2017 Mar 16.

Department of Parasitology, Animal Medical Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Gwangju, 61186, South Korea.

Background: Previous surveys in dogs from Korea indicated that dogs are exposed to a variety of vector- borne pathogens, but perception for a nation-wide canine vector-borne disease (CVBD) occurrence has been missing. We report here results of both serological and molecular prevalence studies for major CVBDs of dogs from all over the South Korean Peninsula except for Jeju Island.

Results: Serological survey of 532 outdoor dogs revealed the highest prevalence for Dirofilaria immitis (25. Read More

Mil Med 2017 Mar;182(3):e1864-e1869

Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, 1060 William Moore Drive, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607.

Objectives: As a result of extensive field-related activities, military working dogs (MWDs) have an increased occupational risk for acquiring vector-borne infectious diseases.

Methods: Indirect fluorescent antibody, Bartonella alpha-proteobacteria growth medium enrichment culture, and 16-23S Bartonella intergenic transcribed spacer polymerase chain reaction were performed using blood, serum, or tissue specimens.

Results: Endocarditis was diagnosed in three MWDs infected with Bartonella vinsonii subspecies (subsp. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2017 Mar 13;10(1):130. Epub 2017 Mar 13.

Molecular Diagnostic Unit, Diagnostic Laboratories, Langford Vets and School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford, UK.

Background: Feline infectious agent studies are lacking in Cyprus. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and risk factors for various feline infectious agents, including feline vector-borne pathogens (FVBP), in cats from Cyprus.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, multicentre study was performed on 174 feline samples [138 owned and 36 shelter-feral, including both healthy (43) and non-healthy (131), cats] from private veterinary clinics from all six districts of Cyprus. Read More