Blood samples from 139 cattle from 7 herds of the province of Venice, Italy, were submitted to microbiological and molecular investigation to detect Bartonella spp., after a suspicion of infection, based on microscopic observation of blood smears. Blood cultures were performed and samples from 10 animals of 2 different farms resulted positive. DNA extracted from colonies isolated from each of the culture-positive samples, was subjected to PCR amplifying the16S-23S rRNA intergenic region (ITS), and the genes citrate synthase (gltA), RNA Polymerase b-subunit (rpoB), Riboflavin synthase (ribC) and further sequenced. The sequences obtained by BLAST showed percentages of homology with reference B. bovis sequences ranging from 98% to 100%. B. bovis was previously identified in cats in the USA and in cattle in the USA, in France and in Ivory Coast. This is the first report of B. bovis in Italy. No contacts of the farms studied with the other European area (Bissy, France) where the infection was detected have been ever occurred. The 7 herds lie within an area of 2.2 km of radius. All the positive animals were of domestic origin. Their mean age was 49 months (range 24 – 86). Way of transmission and pathogenic significance of the infection need to be investigated.
Detection of Bartonella bovis in a cattle herd in Italy
MARTINI, MARCO;MENANDRO, MARIA LUISA;PASOTTO, DANIELA;MAZZARIOL, SANDRO;STELLETTA, CALOGERO
2008
Abstract
Blood samples from 139 cattle from 7 herds of the province of Venice, Italy, were submitted to microbiological and molecular investigation to detect Bartonella spp., after a suspicion of infection, based on microscopic observation of blood smears. Blood cultures were performed and samples from 10 animals of 2 different farms resulted positive. DNA extracted from colonies isolated from each of the culture-positive samples, was subjected to PCR amplifying the16S-23S rRNA intergenic region (ITS), and the genes citrate synthase (gltA), RNA Polymerase b-subunit (rpoB), Riboflavin synthase (ribC) and further sequenced. The sequences obtained by BLAST showed percentages of homology with reference B. bovis sequences ranging from 98% to 100%. B. bovis was previously identified in cats in the USA and in cattle in the USA, in France and in Ivory Coast. This is the first report of B. bovis in Italy. No contacts of the farms studied with the other European area (Bissy, France) where the infection was detected have been ever occurred. The 7 herds lie within an area of 2.2 km of radius. All the positive animals were of domestic origin. Their mean age was 49 months (range 24 – 86). Way of transmission and pathogenic significance of the infection need to be investigated.
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