Prevalence of Bartonella infection in cats and dogs in a metropolitan area, Thailand.

ABSTRACT

The prevalence of Bartonella infection was studied in 312 cats and 350 dogs in the Bangkok metropolitan areas, Thailand, between June 2001 and February 2003. Bartonella was isolated from 47 (16.3%) of 288 stray cats, but from none of the 24 pet cats studied. Of the 47 Bartonella-positive cats, 45 animals were infected with only B. henselae, one was infected with only B. clarridgeiae, and one with both B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae. 16S rRNA typing showed that 40 cats were infected with B. henselae type I, four with B. henselae type II, and one with both B. henselae types I and II. These results indicated that B. henselae, especially type I, was prevalent in stray cats that constituted a large Bartonella reservoir in Bangkok. B. clarridgeiae was isolated for the first time in Asia from one of 350 dogs.