Abstract:
Tick-borne haemoparasite Babesia gibsoni has been detected rarely in cats, in surveys of apparently healthy animals. In stored blood from a 6-year-old male-neutered domestic shorthair cat in Hong Kong, B. gibsoni DNA was detected retrospectively using PCR for Babesia spp. 18S rRNA and mitochondrial cytochrome B genes, followed by sequencing and basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) analysis. The cat presented with severe haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia. The cat responded to supportive care and glucocorticoids and was clinically normal despite persistent subclinical thrombocytopenia until six months after presentation, when it succumbed to a fatal haemorrhagic episode. Necropsy revealed severe intestinal and pulmonary haemorrhage and hypocellular bone marrow with megakaryocytosis but no other causes of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMTP) or immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA). Blood stored on days 158 and 180 tested PCR negative for Babesia spp. This report demonstrates that geographic range of B. gibsoni detection in cats includes Hong Kong. The exclusion of other causes suggests that B. gibsoni might have potentially played a role in triggering immune-mediated disease in this case.
摘要:
滴虫传播的血寄生虫在猫中很少被发现,在对看起来健康的动物的调查中。在香港一只六岁雄性绝育的家养短毛猫储存的血液中,使用PCR对Babesiaspp进行回顾性检测。18SrRNA和线粒体细胞色素B基因,然后进行测序和基本局部比对搜索工具(BLAST)分析。猫出现严重的溶血性贫血和血小板减少症。猫对支持性治疗和糖皮质激素有反应,尽管持续存在亚临床血小板减少症,但临床正常,直到出现后六个月,当它死于致命的出血事件。尸检显示严重的肠和肺出血以及骨髓细胞减少伴巨核细胞增多,但没有其他原因引起免疫介导的血小板减少症(IMTP)或免疫介导的溶血性贫血(IMHA)。在第158天和第180天储存的血液对巴贝斯虫属的PCR呈阴性。该报告表明,在猫中检测到B.gibsoni的地理范围包括香港。排除其他原因表明,在这种情况下,吉布氏芽孢杆菌可能在引发免疫介导的疾病中发挥了潜在的作用。