NATIONAL VETERINARY LABORATORY P.O. Box 239, 1Tice Road Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 877-NVL-LABS (877-685-5227) www.natvetlab.com NEWSLETTER Dogs and Bartonella Evelyn E. Zuckerman, Editor Summer 2007 Vol. 6, Number 3 In This Issue: dogs kept outdoors are more likely to be exposed Table 1 The Summer 2007 issue of the NVL Newsletter to ticks than dogs kept indoors most of the time. Geographic Occurrence of Bartonella in Dogs is the first of several Newsletters that will give an Geographic Area Percent overview of Bartonella infection in healthy and Western Blot Bartonella Test: Infected sick dogs. This is especially relevant as summer As with cats, we utilize the WB technique for New Jersey- NVL 4% is the height of the tick and flea season in many serologic testing of dogs for Bartonella infection North Carolina/Virginia 3.6% parts of the country. Subsequent Newsletters will (Figure 1). The WB technique is more specific Southeast- US Healthy 10% cover canine Bartonella testing and diseases in and more sensitive than IFA or ELISA tests and Sick 27% more detail. is used as the confirmatory serological method Southwest- US Army Dogs 9% for many pathogen serologic assays. California 3% Dogs Israel 10% Figure 1 Background: We have tested 3,665 dogs for Bartonella infection by western immunoblot (WB) (Figures 1 & 2, Tables 2 & 3). Table 2 NVL Occurrence of Bartonella in Dogs Number Number % Status Tested Positive Positive Healthy 802 58 7% Western Immunoblot of a seropositive dog showing 1) No RFs** 641 31 5% Dogs cannot relax when it comes to Bartonella. cross-reactivity to 6 Bartonella species: B. henselae, 2) With RFs* 161 27 17% B. vinsonii, B. elizabethae, B. clarridgeiae, B. weissi Diseased Dogs 2,730 404 15% Yes dogs, like cats, are susceptible to infection (bovis), and B. quintanna ( M= molecular weight Not Specified*** 133 25 19% with Bartonella but they are less likely to markers). Totals 3,665 487 13% transmit the bacteria to humans than are cats. * RFs= risk factors for Bartonella infection- flea & However, dogs appear to be exposed less or are Similar to cats, Bartonella infection in dogs is also correlated with hot and humid climates tick exposure. less susceptible to infection by Bartonella. Dogs ** No risk factors reported by veterinarian. are infected much less often (~4 times less) than (Table 1) and we have mapped the prevalence of *** No diagnosis given. cats living in the same geographical areas. infected healthy dogs by the first number of their zip codes (Figure 2). The overall infection in Dog Bartonella Diseases: healthy dogs, with no reported risk factors, is Bartonella Species Found in Dogs: only 5% compared to 20% in cats with no Early studies found that dogs were mainly There have been numerous publications reported risk factors (Table 2). Healthy dogs documenting the diseases caused by Bartonella in infected with Bartonella vinsonii whereas cats who have risk factors for exposure to fleas and 1-16 were mainly infected with Bartonella henselae.1-2 dogs. The Bartonella inflammatory- ticks compared to dogs with no reported risk granulomatous disease spectrum in dogs is quite Subsequent studies have found that dogs are factors are 3 times (17% versus 5%) more likely infected with 6 Bartonella species (B. henselae, different from those of cats. Canine Bartonella to be infected. diseases include: heart disease- endocarditis, vinsonii, clarridgeiae, elizabethae, woshoensis, myocarditis, vegetative valvulitis, and and quintanna) and like cats, they are more often Figure 2 2-16 arrhythmias, liver disease- peliosis hepatis, and infected with Bartonella henselae. NVL Geographic Prevalence* of Bartonella granulomatous hepatitis, ocular disease- uveitis Infection in Healthy Dogs Based on First and chorioretinitis, lymphadenopathy (itis), Both cat and dog fleas carry and transmit Number of Zip Code granulomatous rhinitis, thrombocytopenia and Bartonella, but ticks appear to transmit 1-16 Bartonella among dogs more often than do anemia. fleas.14 In addition to the published canine Bartonella diseases, we have found Bartonella spp. associated with myositis, arthritis, polyarthritis (opathy), neurological disease and fever of unknown origin (Table 3). In collaboration with Like cats, dogs have the same risk factors for Dr. Charla Jones, Board Certified Veterinary Bartonella infection: flea or tick infestation or a Healthy dogs infected in: Zip 0: 6/63= 10%; Zip 1: Cardiologist at Veterinary Cardiology & history of infestation, stray or shelter origin, 32/616= 5%; Zip 2: 2/9= 22%; Zip 3: 2/8= 25%; Medicine Service, Austin, Texas, we have found Zip 4: 0/27= 0%; Zip 5: 2/7= 29%; Zip 6: 0/2= 0%; living in multi dog or cat households, living with Bartonella associated with heart diseases in both a Bartonella-infected cat or dog, and living in hot Zip7: 7/22= 32%; Zip 8: 0/1= 0%; Zip 9: 7/42= 17% *Based on Bartonella western blot antibody test. cats and dogs. Texas is a high Bartonella and humid climates. In this regard, field dogs or incidence state. Table 3 performed at NC State University. Antibiotic USA. Vet Res 35:585-595, 2004. Bartonella Infected Dogs with therapy did not resolve the clinical signs but the 13. Smarick SD, Jandrey KE, Chomel BB. Aortic Inflammatory Diseases- NVL Data addition of an immunosuppressive dosage of valvular endocarditis caused by Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii in 2 dogs presenting for fulminant prednisone resolved all signs. The authors # pulmonary edema. J Vet Emerg Crit Care 14:42-51, concluded that “In dogs with pyogranulomatous Tested/ % X 2004. Disease lymphadenitis, serologic testing may not detect # 14. MacDonald KA, Chomel BB, Kittleson MD, et al. + + antibodies against B henselae.” A prospective study of canine infective endocarditis in Healthy- No RFs 641/31 5% X Editor’s Comment: northern California (1999-2001): emergence of Myositis/ Myopathy 104/29 28% 5X Bartonella as a prevalent etiologic agent. J Vet Intern Arthritis/Polyarthritis 297/72 24% 5X This conclusion was made despite the fact that Med 18: 56-64, 2004. Heart Disease 183/34 19% 4X the dog in case #2, tested by WB for 15. Goodman RA, Breitschwerdt EB. Clinicopathologic Anemia 115/19 17% 3X Bartonella antibodies at this lab at the initial findings in dogs seroreactive to Bartonella henselae Lymphadenopathy 265/40 16% 3X presentation, was positive (+3 infected). Our antigens. Am J Vet Res 66:2060-2064, 2005 Neurological Disease 167/26 16% 3X 16. Saunders GK, Monroe WE. Systemic studies show that the IFA test is less sensitive granulomatous disease and sialometaplasia in a dog Fever 374/57 15% 3X and less specific than the WB test for detection Ocular Disease 606/82 14% 3X with Bartonella infection. Vet Pathol 43:391-391, 2006. of antibodies against Bartonella. We find that 17. Kelly P, Rolain JM, Maggi R, et al. Bartonella Liver Disease 182/23 13% 2X WB serologic testing of dogs for Bartonella quintana endocarditis in dogs. Emerg Infect Dis Thrombocytopenia 156/17 11% 2X infection is a valid diagnostic procedure. 12:1869-1872, 2006. Respiratory Disease 207/21 10% 2X 18. Morales SF, Breitschwerdt EB, Washabau RJ, et al. Oral Disease 578/33 6% X Detection of Bartonella henselae DNA in two dogs 2,963/ 14% 3X Totals with pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis. J Am Vet Med 417 Assoc 230:681-685, 2007. Conclusion: 19. Tsukahara M, et al. Bartonella henselae infection Case Reports: Dogs, like cats, are susceptible to Bartonella from a dog. Lancet 352:1682, 1998. Morales SF, Breitschwerdt EB, Washabau RJ, et al. infection and the subsequent development of 20. Chen TC, et al. Cat scratch disease from a domestic Detection of Bartonella henselae DNA in two dogs chronic inflammatory diseases. Although dogs dog. J Formos Med Assoc 106:S65-68, 2007. with pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis. J Am Vet can be infected, they rarely transmit the bacteria Med Assoc 230:681-685, 2007. to people and thus we do not recommend routine More Bartonella references can be obtained at: This publication describes 2 cases of canine testing of healthy dogs due to the relatively low www.nlm.nih.gov/ 19-20 pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis seen at the prevalence of infection. However, healthy th Department of Clinical Sciences, College of dogs that are exposed to frequent tick or flea Happy 99 Birthday Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota. infestations and dogs with chronic illnesses Mrs. Adeline Shipp (Table 3) may benefit from Bartonella testing. Case 1: A 6 year-old neutered male Golden Retriever from Massachusetts was seen for anorexia and lameness of the left hind leg. References: Cytology of multiple joint aspirates revealed 1. Breitschwerdt EB, Kordick DL, Malarkey DE, et al. neutrophilic arthritis consistent with an immune- Endocarditis in a dog due to infection with a novel mediated polyarthropathy. Bacterial cultures of Bartonella subspecies. J Clin Microbiol 33:154-160, the joint fluid were sterile for bacteria and a tick 1995. 2. Breitschwerdt EB, Atkins CE, Brown TT, et al. serology panel was also negative. IFA serology for Bartonella henselae and vinsonii was also Bartonella vinsonii subsp berkhoffii and related th members of the alpha subdivision of the Proteobacteria Mrs. Shipp celebrates her 99 birthday negative at the Vector Borne Disease Diagnostic in dogs with cardiac arrhythmias, endocarditis or on June 12, 2007 Laboratory at NC State University. However, myocarditis. J Clin Microbiol 37: 3618-3626, 1999. quantitative PCR for Bartonella spp was positive 3. Kitchell BE, Fan TM, Kordick D, et al. Peliosis from a lymph node biopsy. The dog was treated hepatis in a dog infected with Bartonella henselae. J with doxycycline (5mg/kg PO BID for 6 weeks) Am Vet Med Assoc 216: 519-523, 2000. and made a complete recovery. NVL did not test 4. Pappalardo BL, Brown T, Gookin JL, et al.