Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.19, No.3, 2020. Proceeding of the 17th International Conference.
College of Veterinary Medicine. University of Basrah. Iraq
48
DIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF HEMOPLASMOSIS IN CATS IN
BASRAH CITY-IRAQ
Sajjad L. Jabbar, Mohammed A.Y. Al. Amery
University of Basrah, College of Veterinary Medicine
Corresponding author: moh69abd@yahoo.com
Keyword: Hemoplasmosis, Cats, Basrah, Iraq
ABSTRACT
The cats might severely affected and became carrier for Hemoplasma spp., so
the current study were aimed to investigate hemoplasmosis in cate in Basarh city,
Iraq.This work was conducted via examine (20) cats of local cat breeds in Basarh
city, using their blood samples for stained smear and blood parameters.The Giemsa
stained blood smears revealed seven (35%) cats infected with Hemoplasmosis.
However, thirteen (65%) was found negative. Diseased cats show pale and or/icteric
mucos membranes, dehydration, emaciation, loos of appetite, and weakness,
Moreover , a significant increase of body temperature, respiratory and heart rate was
indicated. Results was also show a significant decrease of RBC,HB and PCV of
diseased cats which reflected Normocytic Normochromic type of anemia
.Hemoplasma spp. of infected cats appears round or rod shape singular or chained
located on the cell membranes of the infected erythrocytes .It was concluded that
feline mycoplasmosis lead to deleterious effects which might terminated with death
of affected cats .
INTRODUCTION
Hemoplasmosis, formerly calls haemobartonellosis, is transmitted by tick, and
affects red blood cells of cats to cause feline infectious anemia (1) There are three
species of hemoplasma could infected cats included Mycoplasma haemofelis, M.
haemominutum and M. turicensis (2). The M. haemofelis is consider the most
pathogenic , and commonly hemoplasmosis can result in disease in
immunocompromised cats (3, 4). Carrier cats often have subclinical infection, but
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.19, No.3, 2020. Proceeding of the 17th International Conference.
College of Veterinary Medicine. University of Basrah. Iraq
49
reactivation of infection can occur and may result in clinical disease (5). Generally the
incidence of infection around the world is between 15-30% for cat population (6).
Hemoplasmosis is register in cattle and sheep of Basrah Governorate (7, 8). However,
no records are found for the disease in cats in Basrah governorate, therefore, the
present work was aimed to study the clinical signs , hematological changes and
diagnosis of hemoplasmosis in local cat breeds .
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Animals: Twenty owned local cat breeds are used in this study
Clinical examination: Complete clinical examinations has been applies for all cats ,
Moreover, full case history of each animals were also registered. (9).
Sampling: Two milliliter of blood mixed with EDTA were drained from each animal
by cephalic vein puncture used to determine Total erythrocyte count (TRBc),
Hemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular
volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and total
leukocytes count, (Hematology analyzer, Genex, USA),Furthermore differential
leukocytes count were done according to (10, 11).
Staining : Stain blood smears by Giemsa ( Syrbiob- Syria ) as in (10).
Statistical analysis: It was done according to SPSS program version 15.0.
RESULTS
Results show that out of 20 cases of cats, seven was found positive for
Hemoplasma spp. by microscopic examination of Giemsa stained blood smears with
an infection rate of 35%.
Diseased animals show different clinical manifestations which include; Pale
mucous membranes (35%), dehydration (15%), emaciation (10%), loos of appetite
(10%), weakness (10%) and icteric mucous membranes (5%) as in Table(1).
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.19, No.3, 2020. Proceeding of the 17th International Conference.
College of Veterinary Medicine. University of Basrah. Iraq
50
Table (1) Clinical findings of hemoplasmosis in cats
Clinical Signs Infected cats n=7 Percentage
Pale mucous membranes 7 35%
Dehydration 3 15%
Emaciation 2 10%
Loos of appetite 2 10%
Weakness 2 10%
Icteric mucous membranes 1 5%
Cats appeared no clinical signs 13 65%
Total no. =20
On the other hands , resulted was also indicated a significant increase (p<0.05). in
body tempreture , respiratory and heart rate of infected cats than in non-infected cats
(table-2).
Table ( 2 ) : Body temperature, respiratory and heart rate of infected and noninfected
cats
Parameters Non infected cats
n=13
Hemoplasma infected cats
n=7
Body temperature C ° 39.2± 0.42 39.8± 1.23*
Respiratory rate/ mint 26.5 ± 1.51 44.4 ± 3.68*
Heart rate/ mint 115± 3.43 166.2 ± 2.44*
Values are mean ± standard error of mean *(P<0.05).
Results of hematological examinations explained in table(3), showed a
significant (p<0.05) decrease in total erythrocytes count, hemoglobin concentration,
and packed cell volume reflected Normocytic Normochromic type of anemia
comparing with non-infected cats. Moreover, leukocytosis was Indicated in infected
cats compared with non-infected.
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.19, No.3, 2020. Proceeding of the 17th International Conference.
College of Veterinary Medicine. University of Basrah. Iraq
51
Table (3) The Hematological changes of infected and non-infected cats
Parameters- unit Non infected cats
N=13
Hemoplasma infected cats
N= 7
Hb /g 12.03 ± 0.13 9.8 ± 0.39*
TRBC x106 8.29 ± 0.11 6.06 ± 0.25*
PCV % 36.06 ± 0.45 27.02 ± 0.91*
MCV fL 43.5 ± 0.76 44.58 ± 1.22
MCH pg 14.51 ± 0.25 15.17 ± 1.72
MCHC g/dL 33.36 ± 0.32 34.26 ± 1.09
TLC x103 10.8 ± 1.65 14.4 ± 0.96*
Values are mean and standard error *(P<0.05) ( Hb: Hemoglobin concentration , TRBCs: Total
erythrocyte count , PCV: Packed cell volume , MCV: Mean corpuscular volume, MCH: Mean
corpuscular hemoglobin, MCHC: Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, TLC: Total
leucocytes count)
On microscopic examinations of Giemsa stained blood smears, appears Hemoplasmas
spp as round or rod shape structures and located as a singular or in chains on the cell
membranes of infected erythrocytes of diseased cats ( Figure- 1) .
Figure (1): Hemoplasma spp infect erythrocyte cell wall of cat(arrow) (Giemsa stain
X1000).
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.19, No.3, 2020. Proceeding of the 17th International Conference.
College of Veterinary Medicine. University of Basrah. Iraq
52
DISCUSSION
The Hemoplasmosis is an erythrocytic sickness and has been detected in cattle
and sheep in Basrah (7, 8), what is more, hemoplasmosis will transmitted to most
domesticated animals like cattle , Buffaloes ,sheep as well as dogs and cats and has
greater clinical occurrence in those animals (1). However, latent Hemoplasma
infection may additionally have an effect on mules, deer, elk and goats since the
organisms largely seem species specific (12).
The hemoplasma examination in cats in Basrah city results that seven out of
twenty 20 (35%) were found positive by using Giemsa stained blood smears, this
results indicated, that the cats are a good host for Hemoplasma spp which might
transmitted by invertebrate vectors like; lice, flies, ticks and mosquitoes (13).
Furthermore, the organism could also transmitted directly through biting cats, since,
hemoplasma present in their saliva, on gingival tissue and on claw bets of the infected
cats (4).
Diseased cats showed different clinical manifestations most of these clinical
findings mentioned are belong to the hemoplasma infection and were also indicated
by others (1, 12 ,14). The presence of pale mucus membranes reflected anemia and
reduction of blood parameters due to destruction and removal of parasitized
erythrocytes by the reticulo-endothelial system (15), whereas icteric mucus
membranes indicates the progressive hemolytic anemia and bilirubinemia, which
developing in advance diseased animals (11).
Partial or complete loss of appetency may occur as Food intake regulation
during inflammation is orchestrated by the brain in response to peripheral
inflammatory signals. It is known that expression of the prostaglandin synthesizing
enzyme cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is crucial for the mechanisms underlying
inflammation-induced anorexia, and that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is involved in
anorexia induced by interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) (16, 17).
Weakness that had been shown on unhealthy cats may occur because of
decrease muscle mass, presumptively related to the poor body condition associated
with decrease conception rates following feline hemoplasmosis (15, 18).
Basrah Journal of Veterinary Research,Vol.19, No.3, 2020. Proceeding of the 17th International Conference.
College of Veterinary Medicine. University of Basrah. Iraq
53
Whereas the rise of body temperature associated with hemoplasma infected
cats reflect the acute feature of the disease, and it connected to the liberation of
endogenous pyrogens of the causative agents and because of cellular lysis stimulating
thermoregulatory centers of neural structure within the brain(19).
Increased respiratory and heart rate might followed the systemic reactions
which occurs because of the acute crises of the sickness and also the anemic pattern
caused by the disease itself (18, 20), since rapid respiration affected unhealthy cats
may occur as a result of anemic hypoxia as a result of decrease erythrocytes count and
hemoglobin concentration which diminished the oxygen transmitted to several tissues
of the body and then an adequate supply of oxygen will occur, which reflect an
increase abdominal type of respiration of diseased cats (21).
The study revealed anemia in infected cat, which was exhibit normocytic
erythrons which may related to hemolytic anemia following Hemoplasma spp
infection (10), furthermore the defective erythrons be fragile and could be engulfed by
spleen macrophage (11).
Examinations of blood smears stained with Giemsa, represent that the
Hemoplasmas as round or rod form structures, however, it might be found on an
individual basis or enchained on the red blood cells (1). The variability in size of the
organisms and their arrangement indicate that the organisms spread over the
erythrocyte surface by a process of continuous budding or chain elongation (22).
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