First description of Bartonella koehlerae infection in a Spanish dog with infective endocarditis

María-Dolores Tabar,Xavier Roura,Jaume Altimira,Laura Altet,Ricardo G Maggi

doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2188-3

María-Dolores Tabar, Xavier Roura + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-017-2188-3

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Abstract

BackgroundBartonella koehlerae has been recently described as a new cat- and cat fleas-associated agent of culture-negative human endocarditis. It has been also encountered in one dog from Israel and six dogs from the USA, but other clinically relevant reports involving this bacterium are lacking.ResultsA 7-year-old intact male mixed dog presented with clinico-pathological signs consistent with mitral endocarditis and cutaneous hemangiosarcoma. Molecular studies revealed the presence of Bartonella koehlerae DNA in samples from blood and mitral valve tissue.ConclusionsThis is the first description of B. koehlerae in Spain, corroborating that it can also be detected in dogs. Bartonella koehlerae infection should also be considered in Spain in humans and dogs presenting with clinical disease suggestive of it, such as culture-negative endocarditis.

Highlights

Bartonella koehlerae has been recently described as a new cat- and cat fleas-associated agent of culture-negative human endocarditis
Bartonella koehlerae has been documented as a human pathogen and it has been increasingly detected in the last years [2, 3]
Bartonella koehlerae has been described in seven dogs from Israel and the USA with endocarditis, splenic disease, with suspicion of having a vector-transmitted infection or with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia syndrome [4,5,6,7]

Summary

Introduction

Bartonella koehlerae has been recently described as a new cat- and cat fleas-associated agent of culture-negative human endocarditis. It has been encountered in one dog from Israel and six dogs from the USA, but other clinically relevant reports involving this bacterium are lacking. Bartonella spp. are the etiological agents in humans and animals of several emergent and re-emergent vectorborne diseases that have a broad spectrum of clinical presentations including endocarditis, granulomatous diseases, meningoencephalitis, polyarthritis, uveitis or hemolytic anemia [1]. Bartonella koehlerae has been described in seven dogs from Israel and the USA with endocarditis, splenic disease, with suspicion of having a vector-transmitted infection or with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia syndrome [4,5,6,7]

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