Serological, molecular and clinicopathological findings associated withinfection in cats in Northern Italy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence ofspecies infection in cats in Northern Italy and to evaluate the associations between infection and signalment and clinicopathological data. METHODS: The study was carried out in a veterinary university hospital from June to November 2017. Blood, urine, conjunctival swabs and hair were collected from all randomly selected cats.species infection was evaluated using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), setting a cut-off value of 1:80, and using real-time PCR on blood, conjunctival and hair samples. A complete blood count, serum chemistry profile, serum electrophoresis and urinalysis were also carried out. The cats were grouped on the basis of the results of the diagnostic criteria adopted in positive, negative and unconfirmedcases. Non-parametric variables and continuous data were compared among the study groups using the χtest and the Mann-Whitney U-test, respectively. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-two cats were included. Nineteen of the 152 (12.5%) cats were positive (18/152 [11.8%] showed an IFAT titre of ⩾1:80 and 1/152 [0.7%] was real-time PCR-positive from a hair sample); 106/152 (69.7%) cats were negative; and 27/152 (17.8%) cats were unconfirmed forspecies. Total proteins, beta-globulin and gamma-globulin were significantly increased in the positivegroup compared with the negative group. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The results of the present study demonstrated the spread ofinfection in cats in Northern Italy. Hyperproteinaemia and hypergammaglobulinaemia appeared to be significant clinicopathological abnormalities in this population of cats withinfection.