Survey of Bartonella species in cats from Abruzzo region, Italy

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a zoonotic disease, caused predominantly by Bartonella henselae and transmitted to humans through a scratch or bite of the cat. Cat represents the principal reservoir and healthy carrier of Bartonella, which is mainly transmitted, among cats, by the flea Ctenocephalides felis. During 2014, fifty‑two samples of whole blood and sera were collected randomly from cats in Abruzzo region and were examined by real-time PCR and IFAT tests, respectively. Seven samples out of fifty‑two (13.5%) resulted positive for Bartonella spp. in both tests, while six specimens (11.5%) resulted real-time PCR negative but IgG positive; thirty‑nine were instead both real-time PCR and IFAT negative (75%). Sequence analysis of a fragment of DNA identified B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae in four and in two real‑time PCR positive samples, respectively.