Birkenheuer Adam J, Marr Henry S, Warren Camille, Acton Anne E, Mucker Eric M, Humphreys Jan G, Tucker Melissa D
Department of Clinical Sciences, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606, United States.
Vet Parasitol. 2008 May 6;153(1-2):126-30. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.01.020. Epub 2008 Jan 19.
This study was performed to determine the prevalence of Cytauxzoon felis (C. felis) infections in bobcats (Lynx rufus) from a region where C. felis is recognized in domestic cats, North Carolina (NC), and a region where C. felis is not recognized in domestic cats, Pennsylvania (PA). Samples from NC (n=32) were obtained post-mortem via cardiac puncture from legally trapped bobcats. Samples from PA (n=70) were collected post-mortem onto Nobuto blood collecting strips by the PA Game Commission. Each sample was tested using a C. felis specific PCR assay as well as a PCR assay targeting host DNA to rule out the presence of PCR inhibitors. Three samples were excluded due to the presence of PCR inhibitors. Thirty-three percent (10/30) of the samples from NC and 7% (5/69) of the samples from PA tested positive for the presence of C. felis. The proportion of C. felis positive bobcats from NC was significantly different than that from PA (P<0.005). Despite the lower prevalence of C. felis infections in bobcats from PA this finding is unique and indicates the potential for C. felis infections in domestic cats in the northeastern USA if the appropriate tick vectors are present. Veterinary practitioners in PA should be on alert for cytauxzoonosis in domestic cats. Further studies about the epidemiology and transmission of C. felis infections among both domestic cats and bobcats are needed.
本研究旨在确定在北卡罗来纳州（NC）家猫中已确认存在猫胞虫（C. felis）感染的地区以及宾夕法尼亚州（PA）家猫中未确认存在该感染的地区的短尾猫（Lynx rufus）感染猫胞虫（C. felis）的流行情况。来自北卡罗来纳州的样本（n = 32）是通过心脏穿刺从合法捕获的短尾猫尸体上获取的。来自宾夕法尼亚州的样本（n = 70）由宾夕法尼亚州狩猎委员会在尸体剖检时采集到诺布托采血条上。每个样本都使用针对猫胞虫的特异性PCR检测方法以及针对宿主DNA的PCR检测方法进行检测，以排除PCR抑制剂的存在。由于存在PCR抑制剂，排除了3个样本。来自北卡罗来纳州的样本中有33%（10/30）检测出猫胞虫呈阳性，来自宾夕法尼亚州的样本中有7%（5/69）检测出阳性。来自北卡罗来纳州的猫胞虫阳性短尾猫的比例与来自宾夕法尼亚州的有显著差异（P<0.005）。尽管宾夕法尼亚州短尾猫中猫胞虫感染的流行率较低，但这一发现很独特，表明如果存在合适的蜱虫传播媒介，美国东北部的家猫有可能感染猫胞虫。宾夕法尼亚州的兽医从业者应警惕家猫中的猫胞虫病。需要进一步研究猫胞虫感染在家猫和短尾猫中的流行病学和传播情况。
