Bartonella henselae and Bartonella elizabethae as potential canine pathogens

Bartonella henselae or Bartonella elizabethae DNA from EDTA-anticoagulated blood samples obtained from four dogs was amplified and sequenced. The results showed that B. elizabethae should be added to the list of Bartonella species (i.e., B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, B. henselae, and B. clarridgeiae) that are currently recognized as infectious agents in dogs. Furthermore, these results may have potential zoonotic implications, particularly if dogs can serve as a previously unrecognized reservoir for B. henselae. Although the clinical relevance of these observations remains to be determined, it is possible that molecular diagnostic techniques such as PCR may help to implicate a spectrum of Bartonella spp. as a cause of or a cofactor in chronic canine and human diseases of poorly defined causation.