The Veterinary Record, Vol 152, Issue 7, 193-198
Copyright © 2003 by British Veterinary Association

Use of a PCR assay to assess the prevalence and risk factors for Mycoplasma haemofelis and ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ in cats in the United Kingdom

¹ Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU
² Heska Corporaton, 1613 Prospect Parkway, Fort Collins, CO 80525, USA
³ CVMBS-VTH, Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, 300 West Drake Road, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA

Blood samples from 426 healthy and sick cats in the UK were tested in a PCR assay for ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum’ and Mycoplasma haemofelis (basonym Haemobartonella felis). Seventy-two of the cats (16·9 per cent) were positive for ‘Candidatus M haemominutum’ alone, six (1·4 per cent) were positive for M haemofelis alone and one (0·2 per cent) was positive for both. Logistic regression analysis indicated that older male cats were significantly more likely to be infected with ‘Candidatus M haemominutum’, but there was no significant association between it and any of the haematological variables measured. M haemofelis infection was uncommon in the anaemic cats sampled, and there were too few positive cases for multivariable analysis to be performed for M haemofelis-positive status.