Abstract
BackgroundChlamydiaceae is a family of obligate intracellular pathogens with a worldwide distribution in many animal species, including humans. No information exists on the prevalence of Chlamydia felis infections in cats and dogs in Lanzhou, the geographical center of China. The aim of this study was to carry out a census of cats and dogs in Lanzhou and document the seroprevalence of C. felis exposure in these companion animals.ResultsIn this study, blood samples were collected from 485 animals (221 cats and 264 pet dogs) in Lanzhou between November 2010 and July 2011 to identify antibodies against C. felis. Thirteen of 221 (5.9%) cats and 32 of 264 (12.1%) pet dogs were positive for C. felis infection using indirect hemagglutination at a cutoff of 1:16. The seroprevalence in household and stray cats was 3.9% and 14.3%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Among different age groups, the seroprevalence in cats varied from 1.9 to 7.9%, and that in dogs ranged from 9.6 to 20.4%; however, the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05).ConclusionsThis is the first report of the seroprevalence of C. felis exposure in cats and dogs in Lanzhou, northwestern China. Our results indicate that the presence of C. felis exposure in cats and dogs may pose a potential threat to human health.
Highlights
Chlamydiaceae is a family of obligate intracellular pathogens with a worldwide distribution in many animal species, including humans
In this study, serum samples were collected from a total of 221 cats (179 household cats and 42 strays) and 264 pet dogs in Lanzhou, northwest China, and the antibodies to C. felis were measured by the Indirect hemagglutination (IHA) test
Thirteen of 221 (5.9%) examined cats were seropositive for C. felis infection, and 32 of 264 (12.1%) pet dogs were found to be positive for C. felis infection at the cutoff 1:16 (Tables 1 and 2)
Summary
Chlamydiaceae is a family of obligate intracellular pathogens with a worldwide distribution in many animal species, including humans. Chlamydia is a genus comprising important zoonotic obligate intracellular pathogens that affect humans and a wide range of animals, including birds [1,2]. Chlamydia infection causes a wide spectrum of diseases in nonhuman mammals and birds, including atypical pneumonia, enteritis, conjunctivitis, endocarditis, and even abortion, resulting in heavy economic losses [3,4,5,6]. Chlamydia felis is an important agent with zoonotic potential It causes primary infections in the upper respiratory tract and eyes of cats. Cats and dogs may be important sources of C. felis infection in humans [8]
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