Vet World Vol.13 May-2020 Article-21
Research Article
Veterinary World, 13(5): 975-980
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2020.975-980
Genetic characterization and risk factors for feline hemoplasma infection in semi-domesticated cats in Bangkok, Thailand
2. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Background and Aim: Stray cats are a reservoir for various zoonotic diseases relevant to public health in Thailand. The vector-borne infection, hemoplasmosis, also known as infectious anemia, is one such disease carried by domestic and wild felids. This study focuses on molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of hemoplasma in semi-domesticated cats in Bangkok, Thailand.
Materials and Methods: In total, 473 blood samples were collected from 53 temple communities in 34 metropolitan districts and assayed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify partial 16S rRNA genes for hemoplasma detection. Risk factors for hemoplasma infection (gender, age, free-roaming, and ectoparasite exposure) were analyzed using Chi-square tests, logistic regression, and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using R software (version 3.6.1). A phylogenetic tree was established from genetic characterization of hemoplasmas.
Results: In total, 180 samples (38.05%) were positive for hemoplasma. Of half of the positive sequenced samples, 83.33% were infected with Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum (CMhm), 13.33% with Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), and 3.33% with Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis (CMt). Cats over 5 years old were more likely to be infected than younger cats (p<0.005, OR=3.8, 95% CI=1.64-4.78). Cats were diagnosed as positive based on PCR assays in 97% (33/34) of districts surveyed. The phylogenetic tree showed two majority clusters with three clades of feline hemotropic mycoplasma.
Conclusion: Overall, the survey shows the prevalence (38.05%) and distribution of feline hemoplasma in semi-domesticated cats. This information will contribute to effective prevention and control strategies to minimize infections by feline vector-borne pathogens in Thailand. Keywords: hemoplasma, semi-domesticated cat, Thailand, vector-borne diseases.
Keywords: hemoplasma, semi-domesticated cat, Thailand, vector-borne diseases.
How to cite this article: Do T, Kamyingkird K, Bui KL, Inpankaew T (2020) Genetic characterization and risk factors for feline hemoplasma infection in semi-domesticated cats in Bangkok, Thailand, Veterinary World, 13(5): 975-980.
Received: 07-02-2020 Accepted: 16-04-2020 Published online: 23-05-2020
Corresponding author: Tawin Inpankaew E-mail: tawin.i@ku.th
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2020.975-980
Copyright: Do, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.